Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], March 27 (ANI): Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLCs on Thursday staged a protest at the Telangana Legislative Council against the Congress government over the farmers' issue.

The BRS MLCs entered the Legislative Council carrying posters stating that the Congress government, led by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, has cheated farmers in the name of a loan waiver.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's criticism of the Congress Government's loan waiver scheme in Telangana has drawn praise from Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) Working President and former Telangana minister K T Rama Rao. The BRS leader thanked the Finance minister for highlighting the farmer issue in Telangana.

Taking to social media platform X on Thursday, he wrote, 'While I may have many issues with Madam FM Nirmala Seetharaman Garu and her economic policies, I am thankful to her for this. Thank you for taking this up and raising your voice to highlight the plight of the farmers in Telangana.'

He added that less than 30 percent of farmers' loans had been waived and alleged that the farming community in Telangana was facing severe distress.

'Farmer suicides are increasing. Raithu Bandhu isn't being released. There is a severe water crisis. This is the first time in a decade the farming community in Telangana is in severe distress,' he wrote.

KTR also criticised the BJP's state leadership, alleging that they were acting as 'personal staff' of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

'They don't utter a word in support of the farmers here. And in turn, attack us for questioning the Congress government's laxity,' he said.

Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday had criticised the Congress-led Telanagana government's loan waiver scheme, stating that many farmers did not receive the promised relief under the Rythu Runa Mafi Yojana.

'One line that he mentioned (Telanagana representative), as different from the Congress' time when waiver was announced, Runa Maafi (Rythu Runa Mafi Yojana) was announced, actually half the farmers did not even get it. So that is the point which all of us have been repeatedly saying, announce Runa Maafi or loan waiver, but you really don't do it, half the farmers are left without Runa Maafi and the banks would put it on the record saying you've been covered under Runa Maafi, because the Congress government had given that promise, and later, because under a one-time settlement your loans have been written off, the farmer is not even eligible for one more new loan,' she said. (ANI)