KTR asks CM to protest in Delhi against neglect of Telangana; offers support
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister and the BRS working president engaged in verbal duels over different issues, including the absence of the BRS chief in the House.
Hyderabad: Cornering the State government over the poor allocations to Telangana in the union budget, BRS working president KT Rama Rao demanded that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his cabinet stage an indefinite strike at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
“All the BRS MLAs and workers will support the strike and protect you. This should be continued till the union government heeds to the State government’s demands,” Rama Rao said in the Assembly on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister keeps demanding that BRS leaders to stage protests in the State for fulfilling the promises made to the people. Regarding the crop loan waiver, he wanted former Minister T Harish Rao to take up an indefinite strike and when the unemployed youth demanded jobs, he wanted me to stage a protest, he said, adding that now, let the Chief Minister and his Ministers stage an indefinite strike at Jantar Mantar for the sake of Telangana.
Responding positively, the Chief Minister said that the Congress party would stage a protest and wanted the BRS to finalise the date. He also demanded that Leader of Opposition K Chandrashekhar Rao join him in the protest. Intervening in the discussion, Speaker Gaddam Prasad Kumar too supported the Chief Minister’s demand.
Replying to the Chief Minister, former Minister T Harish Rao reminded that in the past when the union government refused to procure paddy from Telangana, Chandrashekhar Rao, who was the then Chief Minister, along with BRS MLAs and MPs had staged a protest in New Delhi.
“If the opposition party staged protest in New Delhi to protect Telangana’s interests, what would the Chief Minister and ruling Congress party leaders do?” he asked.
Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister and the BRS working president engaged in verbal duels over different issues, including the absence of the BRS chief in the House. When the Chief Minister questioned the absence of Chandrashekhar Rao for a discussion on poor allocations to the State in the union budget, the BRS working president replied: “You please answer to us and we are sufficient enough to respond. The BRS chief is not required for that purpose.”
Irked over his reply, the Chief Minister said: “I came to this position the hard way and did not attain this position by claiming my father’s legacy. KT Rama Rao is from the management quota.”Hitting back at the Chief Minister, Rama Rao said he could also state that Revanth Reddy had become the Chief Minister under the payment quota.
“It is not wise of him to make such statements in the House,” Rama Rao said.
Reminding about the repeated protests and struggles launched by the BRS against the BJP-led NDA government over its discrimination towards Telangana, the BRS working president said his party would not compromise on protecting the State’s interests.“Despite no support from the BJP, we achieved a lot of development in Telangana. Glad that Congress has understood New Delhi’s wicked politics. Mere pleas will not suffice, one has to command to secure funds and projects,” Rama Rao said wondering why the Congress leaders were afraid to expose the Prime Minister’s vindictive attitude towards Telangana.
“We do not have any secret pacts with BJP and will not merge our party with any party. It was Revanth Reddy who changed parties for securing positions,” Rama Rao said, stating that despite eight Congress MPs and eight BJP MPs from the State, Telangana had got a big zero in the union budget.
