The Telangana Rashtra Samithi insisted TDP president Chandrababu Naidu's Rythu Poru was just for votes, and asked him to clarify his stand on the Telangana issue.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi on Thursday insisted that Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu clarify his stand on the Telangana issue.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan, TRS floor leader Eetela Rajender said that the TDP president never had clarity with regard to the demand for Telangana statehood.
The party maintained a confused stand both in its manifestos and in the communications that it sent the Centre on this issue.
Therefore, he demanded that Naidu clearly say whether or not he was in favour of Telangana.
Eetala said that people in the region had lost faith in the TDP due to its unclear stand. If the TDP was serious about winning back the lost faith, it must first clarify its stand on the statehood issue. Until then the people of the region would treat the Telugu Desam as an anti-Telangana party, he said.
Speaking about Naidu's "Rythu Poru" padayatra, the TRS leader accused Naidu of shedding crocodile tears for the farmers.
He said during his 9 years' tenure as the Chief Minister, thousands of farmers had committed suicide, and he failed to provide support to the distressed farmers.
He said that the Rythu Poru program had then been launched just for votes, and that Naidu was not really concerned about farmers.
Eetela demanded that the state government immediately extend help to the farmers in the drought-affected areas. He said mere declaration of drought-affected mandals would not help the farmers, and that they needed help at the ground level.
He demanded that the government implement all the recommendations made by the Jayanti Ghosh Commission.
He said that the government should thus provide crop insurance, waive interest on loans, reduce the prices of seeds and fertilisers, and supply quality and uninterrupted power to the farmers. He also demanded payment of ex-gratia of Rs. 3-4 lakhs to the family of each of the farmers who committed suicide. (INN)