A Twitter war has erupted between Uttar Pradesh government and principal opposition Samajwadi Party over sugarcane arrears and who helped the cane farmers the most during their respective regimes.
The Twitter war was triggered by Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav who tweeted twice in the last two days, blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party for the problems of the cane growers and their mounting arrears.
On Thursday, Sugarcane Development Minister Suresh Rana retaliated through his official Twitter handle, blaming the previous SP regime for the mess.
A day earlier, Akhilesh had tweeted: “BJP government is facing the ire of farmers for not paying cane dues. Statement of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath aggravated the problem of farmers that sowing cane is increasing diabetes among the people. I suggest that the CM should give such sermon to his supporters who are triggering differences in the society.”
In the second tweet, the SP chief attacked the government on import of sugar from Pakistan.
“BJP government which protests against Pakistan from time to time, imported sugar from Pakistan which had hampered the income of cane farmers of the country. The farmers will give them a reply in the 2019 polls,” Akhilesh keyed in.
Suresh Rana defended the government in his tweet and slammed the SP chief. “Former CM Akhilesh Yadav has no moral right to speak over cane. During his tenure in 2015-16, cane farmers only got Rs 16,000 crore but in Yogi rule this year, they have already been paid Rs 25,500 crore,” he tweeted.
The twitter war erupted after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the total dues of cane farmers to the tune of Rs 10,000 crore would be paid by October 15.
The UP government has sanctioned about Rs 5,500 crore in its supplementary budget for paying off dues of cane growers of the state.