KCR Deadline To PM Over Paddy Issue

Telangana CM KCR, who is staging a dharna along with TRS leaders in New Delhi demanding the imposition of a 'one nation-one food grain procurement policy', on Monday gave a 24-hour deadline to PM Modi to respond if the Centre would buy paddy from the state.

KCR said if the government fails to respond, he will take the protest across the country. He also warned Modi that if he doesn't frame a new agriculture policy soon, farmers would topple the government.

"Telangana demands their right. I would like to say to the PM to frame a new agriculture policy and we will also contribute to that. If you will not do it then you will be removed and the new govt will make a new integrated agriculture policy," the chief minister at the dharna site.

KCR said farmers are not beggars, they have the right to seek minimum support price (MSP) for their produce.

TRS working president and minister KTR, many TRS bigwigs, including ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs also joined the protest.

The TRS has intensified the protest and reached Delhi after the Centre refused Telangana's request to buy parboiled rice in the current rabi season. The government said it can procure only raw rice and not the parboiled ones which are not consumed largely in India.

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has put up several posters near the protest site in Telangana Bhavan asking the CM to step down.

A poster of BJP Telangana state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar mentions, "KCR, what is your problem in procuring rice. Why this dharna? Is it for politics or for farmers? Buy rice if you can, else step down."