KTR hits back at KCR critics, calls Telangana his lasting legacy

BRS working president KT Rama Rao strongly defended party chief K Chandrashekhar Rao during his 72nd birthday celebrations at Telangana Bhavan, dismissing attempts to undermine his achievements. Calling for unity, KTR urged party cadres to work towards bringing the BRS back to power.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao hit back at critics of party chief and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao and attempts to erase his achievements in the State, asserting that Telangana’s very existence stood as the latter’s historic legacy.

He took strong objection to remarks questioning the BRS chief’s community and race and him being called as “Father of Telangana“.

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Participating in the 72nd birthday celebrations of Chandrashekhar Rao at Telangana Bhavan on Tuesday, Rama Rao dismissed attempts to belittle the former Chief Minister and erase his achievements after the BRS moved into the Opposition.

“Telangana itself is KCR’s landmark achievement. How will you erase that?” he asked.

Without naming Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, the BRS working president lashed out at those questioning Chandrashekhar Rao’s lineage and the right to be called the “Father of Telangana”.

He pointed out that the BRS chief never claimed the title, but people gave it to him out of affection for achieving Statehood. He opined that those making such comments neither understood the Telangana movement nor the sacrifices behind it.

“Only those rooted in Telangana’s soil, suffered lathi blows, served in jail and took bullets during the movement, understand the importance of identity and self-respect,” he said, adding that those who carried bags for united Andhra forces had no moral authority to speak on Chandrashekhar Rao and Telangana pride.

Rama Rao invoked a long line of Telangana icons including Rudrama Devi, Kumram Bheem, Sammakka Saralamma, Sarvai Papanna, Doddi Komuraiah, Chakali Ailamma, Bhagya Reddy Varma, Turrebaz Khan, Kaloji Narayana Rao and Dasarathi Krishnamacharya, to assert that Telangana’s identity was forged through resistance, sacrifice and self-respect.

He recalled the 1952 “Gair Mulki, Go Back” agitation and the 1969 Telangana movement in which hundreds of youth laid down their lives.

“There are only two races in Telangana. Those who stood for Telangana and those who betrayed it. Ours is the race of fighters, yours is that of traitors. Hence, you can never understand Telangana’s identity, self-respect and pride,” he remarked.

On the occasion, the former Minister recalled that when Chandrashekhar Rao launched the Statehood movement in 2001, he faced three major forces including the TDP, the Congress and the BJP without media support, money or muscle power and caste equations.

“All he had was conviction, moral strength and the determination to secure justice for Telangana,” he said.

Rama Rao described the 14-year struggle for statehood as a fight driven by determination and sacrifice, culminating in statehood. Referring to former Union Minister Arun Jaitley, he said Jaitley once remarked that while leaders are usually either strong agitators or good administrators, Chandrashekhar Rao excelled at both.

“For ten years, he governed the State effectively and made Telangana a role model for the country,” he affirmed.

Calling for unity within the party, he said the best birthday gift to the BRS supremo would be to bring the BRS back to power. He urged the people to pray for the former Chief Minister’s long and healthy life.