BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao along with senior party leaders at the BRS executive body meeting at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday.
Hyderabad: BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao called upon party ranks to mobilise all sections of society to prevent Telangana from falling into the hands of ‘colonial conspirators’ who were responsible for the region’s backwardness in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. He said efforts were being made through backdoors to loot the resources of Telangana and control affairs in the State.
He took a direct dig at Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his allies, charging them with attempting to regain influence over Telangana through the NDA government at the Centre.
“Telangana must not fall into the hands of colonial rulers again. If we do not act now, we may never recover,” he warned.
In a speech that lasted for nearly two hours during the party’s extended executive body meeting at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday, the BRS president retraced Telangana’s 150-year struggle – from Telangana armed movements against the Nizam to the betrayal by successive Congress regimes. He blamed the Congress for systematically suppressing Telangana’s identity on various occasions including crushing the 1969 Telangana movement with brutality, amending the Constitution to revoke Mulki Rules after the Supreme Court upheld them to protect Telangana’s rights, water share stolen under the Bachawat Tribunal’s biased verdict, and yet no Congress leader spoke up for Telangana.
He stated that Congress-backed Andhra leaders controlled power, media and resources, forcing Telangana youth to migrate to Bombay and Dubai for survival. He recalled the pathetic conditions in the region in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh which led to formation of the TRS (now BRS). “Telangana has suffered for over 150 years – under monarchs, landlords, and rulers who denied us self-respect. Now, it is once again at risk under the Congress regime,” he cautioned.
Chandrashekhar Rao reminded the cadre that BRS was not just a party but a movement that delivered Telangana against all odds. He recounted the early struggles of the party, including the demolition of its first office by then Chandrababu Naidu government. “Many conspired to crush us, but we stood tall. Today, we must stand again to protect Telangana’s future,” he asserted.
Meanwhile, the BRS extended executive body meeting at Telangana Bhavan saw the participation of around 400 senior leaders from across the State including party working president KT Rama Rao, members of the State executive, district party presidents, sitting and former MPs, MLCs, MLAs, former chairpersons of various corporation and zilla parishads, DCCB and DCMS presidents, and constituency in-charges, among others. They discussed a wide variety of issues plaguing the State including crop loan waivers, Rythu Bharosa, land rights, attacks on Dalits, farmers’ suicides, HYDRAA demolitions, Lagacherla arrests of farmers and increasing suicides among Gurukul students. They also deliberated on challenges faced by auto workers and the alleged political targeting of BRS cadre and social media activists.