Chandrababu Naidu blames Jagan for tomato price hike

MANGALAGIRI: TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday blamed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for tomatoes becoming out of reach of the common man. Speaking at the party headquarters in Mangalagiri on Tuesday, Naidu said, "As the government did not take care of farmers, they have stopped planting tomatoes. This is the reason why tomato prices have increased. If proper care was taken, this wouldn't have happened. Jagan has no foresight. He always looks away from crisis."

Taking potshots at the Jagan Mohan Reddy Government alleging that the YSRCP government has pushed farmers in the State into debts, Naidu said, "Under Jagan's rule, farmers cultivating rice are facing difficulties. Jagan has no knowledge about agriculture sector. From Godavari districts to Rayalaseema region, is any single farmer doing well under Jagan's rule?

"Cultivation of crops should be changed according to food habits. But in Jagan's regime, the crop that is being cultivated extensively is ganja. Under the rule of this villain, there is no other crop which can grow except ganja," he alleged.

The TDP chief added that, "Andhra Pradesh ranks third in farmer suicides in the country and Jagan is good at hiding these figures. 93 per cent of farmers are in debt in the State. If the average farmer debt in the country is Rs 74,000, the average farmer debt in AP is Rs 2,45,554."

Reiterating his earlier statement that development has taken a backseat in Andhra Pradesh, Naidu said, "Land prices will increase in any area if industries are setup. But in Jagan's rule, four years is proof enough of his inefficiency. At one point, if an acre of land was sold in AP, people could buy three acres of land in Hyderabad. Now the situation has changed now. If one acre of land is sold in Hyderabad, one can buy a hundred acres in AP."

Saying that Jagan's lust for power has become a curse for the State, Naidu alleged, "Jagan is killing the systems in place and is running the Government in reverse gear. He has no right to rule the State in this crisis. Jagan Government has burdened the farmers with debt but he is living a luxurious life."

Taking potshots at the Chief Minister for distributing lands in Amaravati, Naidu questioned, "If Jagan donates farmers' land to someone else, does he become a philanthropist? If he is so charitable, why can't he donate his lands? Today we are in a situation where we can't say what is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. Why is Jagan against the farmers of Amaravati?"