6,121 Farmer Suicides In BRS Rule: Sridhar Babu

Telangana IT and Industries Minister Sridhar Babu today criticized BRS leaders for "shedding crocodile tears" over farmers' issues while ignoring the hardships farmers faced during its tenure.

He alleged that 6,121 farmers had committed suicides between 2014 and 2022 due to debt, and that the responsibility for those untimely deaths lay with the BRS government.

The minister claimed that during the BRS regime, Rs 25,672 crore was funnelled into non-agricultural lands, stone boulders and real estate plots under the guise of Rythu Bandhu between 2018-19 and 2022-23. He cited NCRB data, disclosed in Parliament in 2022, to support his claims. The BRS leaders were clearly only "feigning concern" for farmers, and had no moral right to speak on farmers' issues, he said.

He claimed that the current government had fulfilled its promise by waiving Rs 21,000 crore in farm loans despite inheriting a debt-ridden State due to the previous administration's financial mismanagement, and that it was also addressing the farmers' plight through the Rythu Bharosa scheme.

"It is ironic that you criticize us for taking corrective measures when you should be appreciating our initiatives aimed at farmers' welfare," Babu told BRS leaders.

He called on the BRS to stop misleading the public and instead engage with the people, understand their struggles, and work toward real solutions.

"Step out of media appearances and witness the ground realities. Only then will you understand the positive impact of our governance," he said.