UPA adopting anti-farmers policies: BJP

Vijayawada, Feb 2 (UNI) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) today lambasted the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre for adopting ''anti-farmer'' policies in the country.

Addressing a press conference here, BJP Andhra Pradesh unit President Bandaru Dattatreya alleged that due to the implementation of wrong policies by the Centre, suicide among farmers was on the rise in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

He said the BJP National Council meeting held in New Delhi recently had discussed the issue threadbare and the party national leaders have decided that the poll plank for the coming elections should be rythu (farmers) issues.

Demanding the Centre announce Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 1,000 for per quintal of paddy, write off farmers' loans up to Rs 50,000 including interest and issue fresh loans for peasants at four per cent interest rate through banks, Mr Dattatreya said the BJP-led NDA government would implement all these after coming to power if the UPA government failed to do so.

The party had also passed a resolution in the Delhi National Council meeting to this effect for mounting pressure on the UPA Government, he noted.

He claimed there was tremendous response for the 'Rythu Poru Bata' held by the party at Madanapalle in Chittoor district a few days ago.

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