In Punjab, KCR warns Centre: ‘Farmers can change governments’

Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), issuing a subtle warning to the Centre, on Sunday said farmers can change governments if they want and they should keep fighting till they get a constitutional guarantee for remunerative prices of their crops.

KCR was speaking at an event in Chandigarh organised to pay tributes to the farmers who died during the agitation against the Centre’s now-repealed farm laws. The Telangana chief minister bowed to farmers for their grit and determination.

"If farmers want, they can change governments. It is not a big thing. From where the power comes, it comes from us. Agitation should continue till farmers get the right price and there is a constitutional guarantee for it," he said.

Rao was in the Punjab capital to distribute ₹3 lakh as financial assistance to the kin of the farmers, who died during the stir against the Centre's three farm laws. KCR also handed over ₹10 lakh each to the families of the martyrs of the Indian Army who lost their Iives fighting Chinese forces in the Galwan Valley in 2020.

Rao also lauded the contribution of Punjab to the freedom struggle and bringing a green revolution to the farming sector. "Punjab is a great state," said Rao.

The meeting between the leaders, heading two regional outfits - Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)- respectively, assumes significance in the wake of building political equations ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to challenge the BJP.

“Kejriwal is lucky that he got a chance to serve farmers as they sat on Delhi's borders. We too would always support our farmer brothers and sisters. We cannot bring back those who have died but we are with you in this pain,” Rao said.

“Before Telangana became a state, a lot of farmer issues persisted. Farmers were dying by suicide. We are improving, giving farmers free electricity. The Centre asking us to impose electricity bills, put meters. We would die but not install meters,” KCR added.