Sitharaman Slams Stalin Over ‘False Narrative’ on Farm Bonus Ahead of Tamil Nadu Polls
New Delhi: Ahead of the Tamil Nadu state polls, Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday hit back at Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin for creating ‘false narratives’ on the Centre’s recommendation of bonuses to wheat and paddy farmers and said the DMK party was trying to portray itself as the protector of farmers and Tamil people.
In a post on
Tamil Nadu is scheduled to go to polls on April 23. Given the huge surplus of wheat and paddy stocks, the finance ministry’s letter advised state governments to review the existing bonus policy, consider discontinuing bonus on wheat and paddy and focus on incentives to promote pulses, oilseeds and millets in line with national priorities on nutritional security, Atmanirbharta and sustainable agriculture.
While the letter was an advisory to the states, Stalin claimed in
Accepting the challenge, Sitharaman responded by saying that the communication to the states was an invitation to share the responsibility of national food security and that such a challenge only exposed Stalin’s ‘fake bravado’. “Any prime minister with a passing commitment to the national interest would welcome this. Instead, CM Thiru Stalin chose to twist a constructive suggestion into a manufactured complaint – because for the DMK, India’s strategic requirements are not a cause for concern, they are an opportunity to score political points,” he said.
Advising Stalin not to waste time on anti-Centre rhetoric, Sitharaman also asked him to explain to the people of Tamil Nadu why he is effectively giving away opportunities to foreign interests instead of making India self-dependent on pulses and oilseeds. “When staple foods become dependent on imports, domestic food security becomes vulnerable to external shocks and price fluctuations. This is not sustainable for a country the size of India. Expanding domestic production of pulses and oilseeds is not just an economic necessity but also a strategic need,” he said.
