KTR accuses Congress of derailing Hyderabad Metro expansion

BRS working president K T Rama Rao accused the Congress government of suppressing dissent, targeting the poor and derailing development projects. He also questioned HYDRAA’s actions, criticised the Future City project and predicted K Chandrashekhar Rao’s return to power

Hyderabad: Citing what he described as growing civil resistance against the Congress government, BRS working president K T Rama Rao on Sunday launched a broadside against the ruling party, accusing it of attempting to suppress dissent.

He said the alleged suppression had reached a point where the government was unable to tolerate even songs in favour of the BRS and its president K Chandrashekhar Rao during the Ganesh festivities, claiming that police had imposed restrictions on the songs that could be played at public events.

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Addressing Congress leaders who joined the BRS in Rajendranagar, Rama Rao said the Congress government would complete three years in office in a couple of months, but those heading it had been spending sleepless nights for the past 10-11 days.

Instead of overseeing law and order and controlling crime, he alleged, the Hyderabad police commissioner was being made to hold a press conference to specify which songs could or could not be played.

“Excessive suppression could turn peace-loving people to revolt when an opportunity arises,” he warned, recalling instances when people danced to BRS songs such as “Dekh Lenge” in the presence of Union Minister G Kishan Reddy and Hyderabad Police Commissioner V C Sajjanar during the Ganesh festivities.

The BRS working president also accused the Congress government of damaging the real estate sector by allegedly demanding 30 per cent commissions. He said the previous BRS government had completed the tender process for the proposed Metro Rail connectivity from Raidurg to Shamshabad, but the Congress cancelled the tender after assuming office, thereby, he alleged, derailing development and progress.

On the Musi rejuvenation project, Rama Rao said the previous BRS government had prepared a Rs 16,000-crore plan and established 32 sewage treatment plants to reduce pollution in the river. He also cited pattas issued to two lakh beneficiaries under GO 58 and the construction of double-bedroom houses.

Rama Rao questioned whether HYDRAA was deliberately ignoring houses belonging to ruling-party leaders, including G Vivek Venkataswamy, Anumula Tirupati Reddy and Patnam Mahender Reddy, while targeting the poor.

He also questioned the government’s Future City narrative, claiming that the project being projected under the new name was essentially linked to the earlier Pharma City proposal.

Rama Rao predicted that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao would return to power in two years and warned that the BRS would settle all accounts upon returning to office. He urged eligible graduates to register as voters from Monday for the upcoming Graduate MLC elections.

Referring to the Telugu film “The Paradise”, Rama Rao said the audience response to its four-minute portrayal of a character based on former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao reflected how people remembered the leader who, he claimed, had restored their self-rule and self-respect.

He said disappointment and frustration prevailed among all sections of society against the Congress government.

Former Ministers P Sabitha Indra Reddy, G Jagadish Reddy and V Srinivas Goud, MLA Padi Kaushik Reddy, MLC Naveen Kumar Reddy, Rajendranagar BRS in-charge P Karthik Reddy and other BRS leaders also participated.

Among the Congress leaders from Rajendranagar who joined the BRS in the presence of Rama Rao were former Rangareddy district Congress vice-president B Sai Reddy, former MPTC member B Raju, former Manikonda sarpanch Yalala Naresh, former Puppalaguda MPTC member Papalal Singh, former Manikonda sarpanch Jaihind Rao and Manikonda councillor Yalala Lavanya.