Congress responsible for corruption, inflation: Naidu

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TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu today alleged that the ruling Congress was solely responsible for rampant corruption in the country and stressed the need for a concerted struggle to root it out.

"The Congress is getting wiped out in state after state and now we have to root out corruption as well," he said.

Delivering the inaugural address at the TDP's annual conclave 'Mahanadu' at Gandipet near here this afternoon, Naidu said prices of all commodities were sky-rocketing because of indiscriminate hike in prices of fuel.

"On one hand, fuel prices are being enhanced left, right and centre and on the other the government is unable to ensure even minimum support price to farmers on their produce. It's a shame for a government that boasts of an annual budget of Rs 12 lakh crore," he said.

The government should step down if it could not control prices, he said. "People themselves will decide and show the way how to rein in the prices," he added.

The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister lamented that farmers were facing untold hardships as the governments failed to come to their rescue in times of distress.

"The farmers' condition has become so pathetic that they are steeped in debts from birth to death. They don't even have the right to export their produce due to government restrictions. Why is the Centre not implementing the recommendations of M S Swaminathan Committee on making agriculture profitable," he questioned.

Lashing out at at the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in the state, Naidu said the Chief Minister lacked experience as well as comprehension of issues.

"There is no governance in the state. Farmers are dumping their produce in rivers or burning it as they are unable to get even minimum support price. Though the Food Corporation of India is ready to procure 75 lakh tonnes of paddy from AP, the state government is unable to play the facilitator's role effectively," the Leader of Opposition claimed.