New Delhi, 13 April (H.S.):

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman launched a sharp rebuttal on April 13, 2026, against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's accusations over the Centre's advisory on wheat and paddy farmer bonuses, accusing him of engineering a false narrative.

Advisory, Not Directive: Promoting Crop Diversification

Posting the relevant letter on X, Sitharaman clarified no directive halted bonuses; rather, an advisory to all states' chief secretaries urged alignment with national priorities—fostering pulses, oilseeds, and millets for nutritional security and self-reliance, not curbing incentives.

She lambasted DMK's ploy to masquerade as farmers' guardians, emphasizing India's unsustainable rice/wheat monoculture amid soaring palm oil and pulse imports. Farmers gain superior prices from demand-supply gaps in pulses/oilseeds, she posited, questioning Stalin's disregard for Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

Crop diversification advances protein-rich access (nutrition security) and slashes edible oil import bills (economic stability). Most states embraced cooperative federalism; only Stalin sensationalized a constructive invitation.

True sovereignty demands Centre-state synergy, supplanting water-guzzling surpluses with essential crops. Sitharaman urged Stalin to enlighten Tamil Nadu on ceding foreign lobbies ground instead of anti-Centre rhetoric, challenging his letter publicity dare as disingenuous bravado.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar