Nizamabad turmeric farmers burn Tamil Nadu BJP manifesto

The farmers staged the protest at Armoor against the BJP for deceiving Telangana turmeric farmers, and promising not only the Turmeric Board but also MSP of Rs 15,000 for turmeric in Tamil Nadu.

Nizamabad: Turmeric farmers of Nizamabad district on Thursday burnt the BJP’s election manifesto for Tamil Nadu elections which promises a Turmeric Board in that State after the Union government turned down Telangana’s long-pending demand to establish the Board in the district.

The farmers staged the protest at Armoor against the BJP for deceiving Telangana turmeric farmers, and promising not only the Turmeric Board but also MSP of Rs 15,000 for turmeric in Tamil Nadu.

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In the 2018 General elections, BJP promised to set up a turmeric board at Nizamabad and provide Rs 15,000 MSP to turmeric farmers. The party’s candidate and now MP D Aravind even went to the extent of declaring on a stamp paper that he would quit his MP post if he failed to fulfill the promise of setting up the Turmeric Board. But soon after the elections, the MP changed his stand and maintained that the existing regional spices board would serve the purpose. The farmers alleged that several representations to the MP failed to yield the desired results. Though the issue has been in the spotlight, the recent announcement of the Union Minister in the Parliament that there was no proposal to set up a turmeric board and the BJP’s promise to set up the same in Tamil Nadu has triggered protests in the district.

“The extent of turmeric cultivation in Nizamabad is over one lakh acres as against just 30,000 acres in Tamil Nadu. The BJP is only interested in garnering votes and its policies are anti-farmers,” the protesting farmers alleged. They staged a protest at the Ambedkar circle in Armoor and burnt the BJP’s poll manifesto for Tamil Nadu.