The Tamil Nadu state unit of the BJP has blamed the state governments for the acute shortage of pulses and their skyrocketing prices.

BJP state president Tamilisai Soundararajan told reporters in Coimbatore that, as early as May this year, the union agriculture ministry had cautioned about the likely shortage of pulses like black gram, but the state governments failed to take adequate precautionary measures.

She said that the state governments had failed to take adequate measures, leading to hoarding of pulses like black gram and toor dal, creating an artificial shortage and skyrocketing prices.

About the availability of Chinese crackers in the market, she said that the state governments, who have the authority, should take steps to prevent the sale of these crackers.

On the persisting beef-eating controversy, she said that Narendra Modi had already warned the party workers against talking on beef. She also added that stray remarks by individuals should not be treated as the party’s official stand. On the issue of writers returning their awards, she said that the writers were affiliated to some political parties and that they should have shown their protests in writing and not by returning the awards.

Tamilisai said that she was pained by the bitter feud in the South India Film Artistes Association and hoped that senior artistes should see to it that there is no divide between them.

Predicting that AIADMK is not likely to win the state elections, Tamilisai said that adequate security and protection should be given to the Tamil Nadu chief minister during her stay in Kodanadu, after Maoist movements were observed in nearby areas.