3,835 farmers committed suicide after Cong came to power: TDP

Hyderabad, Feb 1 (UNI) Ridiculing the claim of the ruling Congress of being farmer-friendly, the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today alleged that 3,835 farmers had committed suicide after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy came to power in the state.

Talking to newspersons at the state TDP headquarters here, senior party leader and former Minister Kotagiri Vidyadhara Rao said the government, which was claiming to be providing free power to farmers, was unable to provide power for even seven hours a day and the crops were withering, forcing the farmers to take the extreme step. ''If the suicide's reports by farmers were not true, then why did they bring UPA Chairperson and AICC President Sonia Gandhi to Anantapur and give compensation to families of 85 farmers who had committed suicide,'' he said.

Mr Rao further said poor farmers were being lathicharged for asking power for their crops, while on the other hand government was claiming that all was well and farmers were happy under its rule.

Alleging that the government had totally turned the co-operative system defunct, he said no credit was forthcoming for the farmers who lost their crops.

He said the TDP during its regime had increased the number of seats reserved for the Scheduled Castes in Engineering colleges from 1,800 to 18,000.

He alleged that the situation had worsened so much that the students were forced to sell their blood to pay their fee, as post-matric scholars were not being paid by the government.

Replying to a question why the TDP had lost its Bobbili Lok Sabha seat despite the people being so averse to the policies of the Congress, Mr Rao said it was natural that a ruling Congress won a by-election. However, he claimed that the TDP had improved its electorate all over the state.

Senior Party Leader Kodela Shiva Prasada Rao and MLA Dhoolipalli Narendra Kumar also participated in the meet.

UNI