Bengaluru: On Saturday, Telangana’s Minister of Municipal Administration and Urban Development, KT Rama Rao, criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his recent remark about turmeric farmers. He also displayed a bond paper worth Rs 5000 crores issued by the Telangana government for the welfare of turmeric farmers in the state.

Modi had recently referred to turmeric farmers as ‘haldi wale’ and questioned the Congress party’s promise to increase the MSP of turmeric, saying “Does anybody know how haldi is grown and how it is harvested?”

KTR, while addressing the media, said that it was an insult to the farmers who have been growing turmeric for generations. He said that the Telangana government had issued a bond paper worth Rs 5000 crores to support the turmeric farmers in the state, and added that the government had already started procuring turmeric at a minimum support price of Rs 8000 per quintal.

KTR further stated that the Telangana government has been taking various steps to support the farmers in the state, including the implementation of Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima, and other welfare schemes.

He also criticized the Centre for not providing enough support to the farmers and said that the Telangana government had stepped in to support the turmeric farmers when the Centre had failed to do so.

Meanwhile, the Congress party in Telangana has condemned Modi’s remark and accused him of insulting the farmers. Congress leader Dasoju Sravan demanded that the Prime Minister apologize to the farmers for his comments.

Turmeric is an important crop in Telangana, and the state is one of the largest producers of turmeric in the country. The state government has been promoting turmeric cultivation as part of its efforts to boost the agriculture sector and increase farmers’ incomes.