Unique Protest by Telangana’s Turmeric Farmers Against BJP Leadership

In 2019, BJP MP Arvind Dharmapuri promised to establish a Turmeric Board for the farmers of Nizamabad during the Parliament Polls. He even signed a non-judicial bond paper and pledged to resign if he failed to deliver on his promise within five days of winning the election. Union Minister Rajnath Singh and Ram Madhav supported his pledge. However, in March 2023, Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel informed the parliament that there was no proposal to establish a Turmeric Board or any other spice-specific Board in the country. This led to the farmers of Nizamabad putting up posters mocking the BJP MP for his broken promise. Kalvakuntla Kavitha, BRS MLC, and former Nizamabad MP questioned Arvind Dharmapuri about his promises and his failure to convince the union government to set up a turmeric board in the district. She also highlighted that the MP was making exaggerated claims about the allocation of Rs 100 crore when every farmer only received Rs 200 from the turmeric board under his administration. The farmers of Nizamabad are now protesting against the BJP MP’s empty promises and reminding him of his unfulfilled commitment.