NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday criticised Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, MK Stalin, and accused him of creating a false narrative on the Centre’s advisory to states to encourage farmers to grow more pulses and oilseeds as these are in short supply in the country and huge amounts have to be imported to meet the domestic requirement.
The Finance Minister pointed out that the communication to the States is an invitation to share the responsibility of national food security. Most of the State governments across party lines understood this and responded in the spirit of cooperative federalism. Only CM Stalin chose to sensationalise it, she said.
“Instead of wasting time on anti-Centre rhetoric, CM Stalin should explain to the people of Tamil Nadu why he is effectively giving away opportunities to foreign interests rather than making us self-reliant in pulses and oilseeds, ” Sitharaman said.
"When essential food items depend on imports, domestic food security becomes vulnerable to external shocks and price fluctuations. That is not sustainable for a country of India’s size. Expanding domestic production of pulses and oilseeds is not only an economic necessity, but also a strategic need, " she explained.