Farmers Movement Archive

KCR: BJP government’s strategy is to brand its critics ‘anti-nationals’

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Narendra Modi government of branding all those who opposed its policies as “Desh Drohis” (anti-nationals).Addressing a late evening press conference for the second consecutive day, the chief minister alleged that the Centre was systematically targeting its opponents by calling them “anti-nationals or Urban Naxals”. “If they are the political rivals of the BJP, the Centre would unleash its agencies like the Income Tax department or the Enforcement Directorate to harass them,” he said.KCR was referring to the statement of Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay calling the chief minister a “Desh Drohi” for pointing out the inaction of the Central government when China was building villages on the borders of Arunachal Pradesh.“How can I be called a Desh Drohi for pointing out the illegal occupation of our territories by China and calling for an appropriate action by the Central government?” he asked.He alleged that even the farmers who were agitating against the draconian farm laws were branded as anti-nationals. KCR pointed out that even Meghalaya Governor Satyapal Malik and BJP MP Varun Gandhi extended support to the agitating farmers. “Will they, too, be called Desh Drohis?” he questioned.The chief minister took exception to the state BJP president’s comment that he would soon be thrown behind the bars. “I am not scared of such threats. You can’t do anything to me, as I don’t have businesses and illegally-amassed wealth, nor am I indulging in any money laundering. If you try to intimidate me, it will only boomerang on you,” he said.Accusing the Centre of cheating Telangana farmers by refusing to buy paddy this season, KCR declared that his party would organise massive protest dharnas across the state on Friday, demanding that the Centre purchase all the paddy from Telangana, as it was doing in Punjab.“If the state BJP leaders have any love for farmers, they should join us in the protests against the Centre,” he said.The chief minister further said his party would also take up protest demonstrations demanding that the Centre withdraw cess being collected on petrol and diesel.The BJP is yet to respond to KCR’s comments.Meanwhile, following KCR’s suit, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh, too, demanded the Centre to either withdraw cess on petrol and diesel or share the proceeds of the cess with the states before asking them to reduce the VAT.Advisor to the state government on public affairs Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said the relief given by the Centre in the form of reducing the fuel prices by ₹5 on petrol and ₹10 on diesel was very insignificant compared to what it had collected in the form of cess.“It is like increasing the prices of a product abnormally and later announcing a marginal discount for the consumers,” he said.He said the Centre had so far collected nearly ₹3.60 lakh crore from fuel prices, of which nearly ₹3.13 lakh crore was pocketed by it in the form of cess. Only ₹ 47,500 crores were collected in the form of excise duty, of which only ₹19,475 crores was shared with the states in the form of tax devolution, he pointed out.

Hindustan Times

09-11-2021

India