Governor tarnishing image of Telangana, stalling State’s development: Harish Rao

Telangana government was still showing utmost restraint towards the Governor though her stand was questionable on many counts, said Harish Rao

Hyderabad: Finance Minister T Harish Rao on Thursday launched a broadside against Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, asking whether it was obligatory to extend an invitation to the Governor for inauguration of the Secretariat. Stating that by her disparaging remarks against Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao were tarnishing the image of Telangana, he also said she was hampering the State’s development by stalling key Bills.

In an informal chitchat with the media, the Minister dismissed the need for such gestures on the part of the administration and sought to know whether it was made binding by the constitution to call for the Governor’s presence on such occasions.

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Stating that the State government had all respect for the Governor, he felt that the rant over the inauguration of the Secretariat building without the Governor was uncalled for and did not merit any debate.

He wondered whether the President of India was invited by the Prime Minister while laying foundation stone for the new Parliament building. ‘Did he invite the President while flagging off the Vande Bharat trains either?’ he asked.

Questioning the stand taken by the Governor against important bills related to development of the State, Harish Rao pointed out that the bill pertaining to merger of revenue villages of Telangana with Andhra Pradesh was stalled by her. She also stalled the Bill intended to increase the retirement age of professors in medical colleges. The Governor was hampering the progress of the State by stalling key bills, he said.

The Minister also said the Governor’s address at forums related to G20 in the city was expected to add to the prominence and importance of Hyderabad. But unfortunately, her tone was otherwise. She spoke in a way that amounted to undermining the office of the Governor. Actor Rajinikanth, impressed by the strides made in development by the State, spoke highly of Hyderabad. He believed calling spade a spade.

Was the Governor deprived of the facts that Rajinikanth had with him about Hyderabad, he asked, stating that if the Governor was so much obsessed with politics, she could very well take again an active role being in the BJP fold to try her luck in electoral politics.

Stating that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was a man of the masses and that the disparaging remarks made against him by the Governor amounted to tarnishing the image of Telangana, he said the State government was still showing utmost restraint towards her though her stand was questionable on many counts.