Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 30 : Telangana BJP MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy on Saturday refuted the allegations of Congress and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of a shortage of urea and fertilisers for the farmers in the state and accused the Congress of selling the fertilisers on the black market.
Paidi Rakesh Reddy said, "BRS and Congress are putting allegations on the central government, but the government has provided a substantial amount of urea. Before the harvest, we gave a buffer stock of 2.5 lakh bags of urea, and after that, 5.5 lakh tonnes and then when Telangana MPs met Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda, then within one hour, imported urea was released, but Congress sold it in the black market."
BJP leader Payal Shankar said that the Central Government is ready to provide whatever help the state government requires.
Payal Shankar said, "If there is no shortage of urea in the whole country, why would there be a shortage here? The Central Government is ready to provide whatever help the state government needs."
Earlier, the BRS staged a symbolic "Urea Protest" at Gun Park, holding empty fertiliser bags to highlight the state-wide crisis. BRS Working President K T Rama Rao (KTR) slammed the Congress government, saying farmers are forced to stand in endless queues.
KTR demanded a 15-day special Assembly session to debate farmer suicides, irrigation projects, and the fertiliser shortage.
BRS legislators staged a dharna at the Agriculture Commissioner's office, demanding an immediate supply of urea and fertilisers. A representation letter was formally submitted to the Agriculture Commissioner outlining farmers' grievances.
Later, BRS MLAs sat on a dharna at the Telangana Secretariat's main gate, intensifying their protest.
Police arrested BRS legislators for protesting peacefully, drawing sharp condemnation from the party. BRS accused the Congress government of using the police force to silence elected representatives instead of solving the crisis. He alleged that over 600 farmers have died by suicide due to Congress's failure to manage agriculture.
BRS vowed to continue its campaign, branding Congress's governance as a total collapse and betrayal of Telangana farmers.