Farmers can change govt, should keep fighting till they get remunerative prices: KCR

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, observing that the country’s farmers had the firepower to change governments, called upon the ryots to come together to launch a nation-wide movement to secure their Constitutional rights including guaranteed Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their crops.

“Farmers can change governments. It is not a difficult task for them,” Chandrashekhar Rao said, and urged farmers who fought against the contentious farm laws by the Centre and achieved success, to continue with their fight. “I too will join you and support along with other Opposition parties such as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP),” the Chief Minister said, addressing a gathering of farmers, retired armed personnel and their families at a packed Tagore Auditorium in Chandigarh on Sunday.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP government at the Centre for its anti-farmers’ policies, Rao urged farmers across the country to support only those political parties that promise to bring in legislation to ensure guaranteed MSP for their crops in the next elections. “Whenever a State government does something good for farmers, the Centre does not like it and this has been evident in the case of both Telangana and Punjab,” he said.

“After a lot of struggle, we achieved Telangana State. To support our farmers who were facing a lot of issues, we started giving uninterrupted and quality power free of cost. But the Centre has been insisting that we install electricity meters on agriculture power connections. They want us to extract money, suck farmers’ blood,” he said, adding that the State government, through the Legislative Assembly, sent a clear message to the Centre that they would rather die than install meters. “Similarly, the Centre doesn’t like MSP extended by the Punjab government to farmers for certain crops. I am aware of that,” he added.

Chandrashekhar Rao paid homage and empathised with the families of 693 farmers who died during the year-long agitation against the Centre’s farm laws. He also recalled the contribution of the people of Punjab to the Indian independence movement and the first green revolution that virtually led to the State feeding the entire country. “These are huge sacirifices and contributions by the people of Punjab,” he said.

Along with his Delhi and Punjab counterparts – Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagawanth Mann respectively, Chandrashekhar Rao handed over cheques for Rs 3 lakh as financial help to the bereaved families of deceased farmers. They also handed over cheques worth Rs 10 lakh each to the martyrs of the Galwan Valley clash against the Chinese troops.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the Centre wanted city stadiums to be converted into makeshift jails to house farmers who were agitating against the now-repealed three farm laws. He said he did not give permission as the farmers were fighting for the farmers of the entire country. He thanked Chandrashekhar Rao for the pro-farmers step.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagawanth Mann also thanked Chandrashekhar Rao for the initiative. Prominent farmers leader Rakesh Tikait and others were also present.

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