BRS ridicules Congress over NTR statue promise, calls it election gimmick

The BRS accused Congress of exploiting N.T. Rama Rao’s legacy for political mileage in the Jubilee Hills byelection, stressing that K. Chandrashekhar Rao had genuinely honoured NTR through developmental initiatives, including a 60-foot statue in Khammam.

Hyderabad: The BRS ridiculed the Congress party’s promise to install a statue of TDP founder NT Rama Rao at Ameerpet, calling it a desperate political gimmick ahead of the Jubilee Hills byelection. Senior BRS leaders asserted that while Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had honoured NT Rama Rao’s legacy with concrete actions, the Congress was merely using his name for votes.

Addressing a press meet at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday, former MP Nama Nageswara Rao reminded that it was Chandrashekhar Rao who gave Maganti Gopinath who is an ardent NTR loyalist, three electoral opportunities and now extended the same support to his wife, Maganti Sunitha. He blamed the Congress for promoting community politics and regional divide in Jubilee Hills to gain votes.

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“The Congress leaders who never respected NTR are suddenly remembering him for electoral mileage. A leader who won three times from Sathupalli in Khammam district did not even install the statue of NTR there. But it was KCR who installed a 60-foot statue of NTR in Khammam and etched his history on granite,” he said. He stated that the Congress leaders who were promising to install NT Rama Rao’s statue, had removed this granite stone next to his statue in Khammam.

Former Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar and MLC Thatha Madhu also slammed the Congress campaign as petty and caste-driven. Ajay Kumar said fearing defeat in Jubilee Hills, the ruling party was resorting to emotional manipulation and bringing caste politics into Telangana. He reminded that the funeral of actor Krishna were conducted by the then BRS government with official honours.

Madhu stated that Chandrashekhar Rao gave equal opportunities to all communities including Kamma community and treated them with respect by giving five acres land for construction of Kamma community building at Khanamet. “If Congress dares, let it show what development it brought. NTR doesn’t need their lip service as his legacy lives through KCR’s actions,” he declared.

Former MLA Nallamothu Bhaskar Rao, corporators Dedeepya and Mandadi Srinivas Rao and other BRS leaders also spoke.