Declaring that “no alliance has approached us yet,” BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao told reporters that the BRS decision will, however, “be taken solely in the interest of Telangana farmers.” He also made it clear that “if the Congress Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy nominates a candidate, we will oppose that candidate without hesitation.”
Rama Rao said the Congress’ hypocrisy on social justice became amply evident as that party, despite claiming affection for BCs, did not nominate a BC leader for the Vice-President post. “If the Congress was serious, it could have fielded intellectuals like Kancha Ilaiah or any other eminent BC leader,” he said.
He said the BRS was not aligned with NDA or the INDIA blocs. “We are an independent party. We have no bosses in Delhi. The people of Telangana are our only bosses,” he said.
Rama Rao, in a scathing attack on the Congress government, said it was responsible “for the unprecedented urea crisis in Telangana. The shortage is an artificial scarcity created by Congress misrule,” he said, adding that he would not be surprised if Congress leaders were diverting the urea stocks arriving in the state and black-marketing the fertiliser leaving farmers in the lurch.
“Such shortages never occurred when KCR was in power, and farmers were not humiliated the way they are now. The BRS demands a White Paper on the urea supplies and shortages. We also want the Centre to order a comprehensive investigation and take strict action against those responsible,” he said.
The BRS leader said if the crisis continues, his party will launch a statewide protest. “Farmers should not lose hope. BRS will fight until this crisis is resolved. We will not allow the Congress government to ruin Telangana’s farming progress,” he said.
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