Convince Centre on foodgrains procurement: Niranjan Reddy

‘Bandi, Kishan should resign if they fail to do so’

Agriculture Minister S. Niranjan Reddy has criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for its attempts to politicise foodgrains procurement. He demanded that the saffron party State leaders convince the Central Government and get assurance that it would purchase the foodgrains produced by farmers if they were committed to the farmers’ cause.

The Minister accused the BJP of indulging in “third class politics” to hoodwink people and gain mileage in the Huzurabad byelection slated for October 30. “The BJP leaders should stage dharnas to mount pressure on the Centre to procure the foodgrains produced in the State,” he said.

He dared the BJP leaders, especially its State president Bandi Sanjay Kumar and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, to resign if they failed to convince the Centre on procurement of foodgrains from farmers. The Minister said he would quit his post if his charges against the Centre, which was indulging in “double speak” when it came to procurement of food grain, were proved wrong.