Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 10 : Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy tore into the Chandrababu Naidu-led government for its repressive approach in detaining, beating up, and harassing farmers during his Banagarupalem visit.
In a post on X, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said, the propaganda machinery of Chandrababu Naidu has tried to show the farmers' issue in a poor light, and the world has seen the overwhelming response despite harsh restrictions and blatant distortions in its friendly media.
He highlighted the plight of 76,000 farmers who produced 6.5 tonnes of mangoes from over 2.2 lakh acres, but failed to get the minimum price in the last two months. Many, he said, had to throw away their produce on the roadside in despair.
Reddy questioned the Naidu government's sincerity, asking, "If mango farmers are not in distress, why did the government announce to give Rs 4 per kg, and why were false orders given to factories to buy at Rs 8 per kg and why JDS leader Kumaraswamy got an assurance from the Centre for buying at Rs 16 per kg?"
He pressed further, "How many farmers did you give the Rs 4 you promised to give and how many farmers the factories paid Rs 8 each?" He said that during his tenure, mangoes sold for Rs 25 to Rs 29 per kg, and questioned why prices slumped immediately after the coalition government took over.
He alleged that the government deliberately delayed the opening of pulp factories, which typically begin operations between May 10 and 15, thereby causing a glut in the market and a collapse in prices.
"Such an artificial situation was created only to benefit your close associates, like Galla factory and Srini Foods," Reddy said.
He also claimed that this year, farmers were denied minimum support price (MSP) not just for mango, but for paddy, chilli, cotton, jowar, sorghum, millets, peas, maize, banana, onion, sugarcane, cocoa, and tobacco.
Reddy accused the government of failing to procure even a single unit of these crops, unlike his government, which, he said, had spent Rs 7,800 crore on crops other than paddy and established a Rs 3,000 crore price stabilisation fund.
"During our term, farmers were getting the Rs 20,000 aid on time. This year, they are still waiting. Input subsidy is abandoned, free crop insurance is gone, and RBK services are dysfunctional," he said.
He condemned the state's approach of branding protesting farmers as "anti-social elements," adding, "Dubbing all those who question for not getting welfare schemes as anti-social elements is audacious; all sections of people, including farmers, youth, women, students, and others, have hit the road to express their dissent."
Reddy questioned the government's integrity, saying its failure to support farmers reflects lack of sincerity and transparency.