KT Rama Rao challenges Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to Medigadda debate

BRS leader KT Rama Rao challenges CM Revanth Reddy to a public debate over the Medigadda barrage and Kaleshwaram project. He slams the Congress government for halting Dalit Bandhu, using abusive language, and targeting dissenters on social media

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao threw a fresh challenge at Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for an open debate on the condition of the Medigadda barrage and prove his allegations against the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.

He refuted the Chief Minister’s repeated claims that the barrage had collapsed, making the Kaleshwaram project useless.

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Speaking at a meeting with the Dalit Bandhu Sadhana Samithi at Telangana Bhavan on Wednesday, Rama Rao reminded that the BRS had earlier accepted the Chief Minister’s challenge for a public debate and invited him to the Press Club of Hyderabad for the same, by offering him three days for preparation.

“You dared us once, and we came to the Press Club. But you fled from the discussion. If you truly have courage, come and debate at Medigadda,” he said, responding to the Chief Minister’s recent challenge.

He accused Revanth of peddling lies, despite being aware that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao brought irrigation waters to even the remotest parts of constituencies such as Tungaturthi and Suryapet. “Reservoirs are brimming, yet people are suffering. This government has abandoned irrigation and drinking water alike,” he remarked.

Targeting Revanth Reddy directly, the BRS working president lambasted the former for degrading the dignity of the Chief Minister’s office. He condemned the vulgar and abusive language of Revanth Reddy against Chandrashekhar Rao and other political opponents. He accused the Chief Minister of arrogance, threatening the people, and speaking in a language unbecoming of the office, and also a responsible public representative.

“Dr BR Ambedkar would have never imagined that frauds and criminals like Revanth Reddy would come to power. Otherwise, he might have written in the Constitution the right to recall and throw such people out,” he said.

He added that though he was against using abusive language in politics, Revanth Reddy left him with no choice. He said he was forced to respond in Revanth Reddy’s words, as the latter would understand only such language.

Rama Rao also condemned the Congress government’s actions targeting social media voices and dissenters. “You can slap 100 cases on us, but we will not stop exposing your fraudulent, anti-people policies,” he said, vowing that people would deliver a fitting verdict in the upcoming local body elections.

Meanwhile, the former Minister charged the Congress government of cheating Dalits and betraying public trust, without releasing pending financial assistance under the Dalit Bandhu scheme. Terming the Congress manifesto as the biggest fraud of the century, he demanded that every eligible individual identified under the previous BRS government be immediately provided funding under the scheme.

He castigated the Congress government for stalling the programme and failing to deliver on its promise of increasing the benefit amount to Rs 12 lakh. “Dalit Bandhu was never a vote-seeking gimmick. It was a historic initiative aimed at fundamentally transforming Dalit lives,” he said, recalling how former Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao had drawn inspiration from Dalit Chaitanya Jyothi, initiated by him over four decades ago.

Rama Rao charged the Congress government with exploiting the hopes of marginalised communities, only to betray them without delivering on the electoral promises. Stating that the Congress manifesto is the biggest fraud of this century, he questioned it over unfulfilled 420 poll promises and deceived every section of Telangana society.

“From Gurukuls to Kalyana Lakshmi to Dalit Bandhu, our government changed lakhs of lives. But the Congress, which trampled on its own SC-ST Declarations, is now denying Dalits what they rightfully deserve,” he added.