Hyderabad, Sep 30 (IANS): The MPs and MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) began a 24-hour protest here on Monday, demanding the Congress-led Telangana government fulfill the promises made to the farming community.
Khammam Lok Sabha constituency in-charge P. Sudhakar Reddy opened the protests at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park. MPs Eatala Rajender, D.K. Aruna, Raghunandan Rao, G. Nagesh, Dharampuri Arvind, and K. Vishweshwar Reddy are participating in the "deeksha".
BJP floor leader in Telangana Assembly A. Maheshwar Reddy, Ramarao Patel, Suryanarayana Gupta, P. Harish Babu and other MLAs were also sitting in protest.
Speaking on the occasion, Maheshwar Reddy alleged that the Congress had betrayed the farmers by not implementing the promises made in the elections.
He said after coming to power, Congress had gone back on the promises. He also slammed the ruling party in Telangana for failing to fully implement a crop loan waiver scheme.
Maheshwar Reddy asked Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy if he had forgotten the promises made to farmers or was pretending to have forgotten them.
The BJP Legislature party leader alleged that since Congress came to power, more than 1,000 farmers have committed suicide. He reminded Congress that it came to power with the support of farmers.
Maheshwar Reddy said that the BJP would stand by the farmers in ensuring they get justice as it has been nine months since the Congress government came to power but has been unable to implement any of its guarantees properly.
"The government has cheated the farmers. It has announced giving legal status to the six guarantees but has not even discussed it during the Assembly session," he said.
The BJP leader said while the Cabinet has cleared Rs 30,000 crore for loan waiver, the actual expenditure was only Rs 17,000 crore.
The promised enhanced financial assistance to farmers under Rythu Bharosa to Rs 15,000 from Rs 10,000 has not been taken up as was another promise to provide monetary aid to the tenant farmers plus Rs 12,000 each for agricultural labour.
He stated that the bonus of Rs 500 per quintal was restricted to the fine rice variety alone when most of Telangana does not produce it.