Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, YSR Congress president on Tuesday disputed the claim of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of having driven away drought.

Speaking at the ‘Rythu maha dharna’ staged in Anantapur he expressed solidarity with the farmers of the district in the face of drought for the seventh consecutive year. Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said "the fact that over five lakh people migrated from the district because of drought exposed the hollowness of the Chief Minister’s claim."

“While the Chief Minister says that he has driven away drought in precisely four days of his stay in the district, his Cabinet Minister K. Ravindra acknowledges that over 90 per cent of the crop has withered. Who is right? The Chief Minister, or Mr. Ravindra?” Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy asked.

Arguing that the claim of Mr. Naidu he said  "having driven away drought by using rain guns in four lakh acres in four days is logistically impossible." Mr. Jagan cited the example of the dried-up farm of a farmer in Rayachoti in whose farm Mr. Naidu himself switched on the rain gun.

“Several lakhs of water tankers will be required to accomplish the task and that is not possible even if all South Indian States are put on the job,” Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said.

Stating that while drought was in nobody’s hands,  but the response of the situation basically remained in the hands of the Chief Minister.

“Former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy tried to be on your side, cleared your debts, arranged fresh loans, and ensured input subsidy and crop insurance every year. In contrast, Mr. Naidu used up Central funds meant for you and has not given you the input subsidy you are eligible for, let alone crop insurance,” Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy said.

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BY M. DIVYA SRI