HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) boycotted the ongoing winter session of Parliament on Tuesday protesting the Centre's inaction on paddy procurement from the state.
TRS members walked out of both houses and protested outside Parliament. The MPs wore black shirts to mark their protest against Centre’s deadlock over paddy procurement.
Earlier, TRS MPs protested and obstructed proceedings in both Houses. In Rajya Sabha, MP K Keshava Rao urged that the Centre promptly acquire pending grain from the state since lakhs of tonnes of paddy will be decomposed if it is not procured. Opposing the Centre strongly, he said the centre is discriminating against Telangana in paddy procurement. They will hold a sit-in protest at the Mahatma Gandhi statue on Parliament grounds, Keshava Rao added.
TRS MPs filed adjournment motions demanding discussion on farmers’ issues, national standard procurement policy, and legal assurances that farmers would get the Minimum Support Price (MSP), but the motions were denied. However, the MPs said that the Centre provided no tangible commitments and instead blamed the state government for the delay in the delivery of Custom Milled Rice (CMR).
TRS MP Nama Nageswara Rao said: “We will announce our next plan after CM KCR gives us direction. We tried to speak to all other MPs who are on the same page on these TRS MPs have disrupted Parliamentary proceedings since the winter session began on November 29.
