Modi orchestrated conspiracy to arrest me, says KCR

"If BJP is so strong, the Prime Minister would not need to stroke communal sentiments," he said, in response to the BJP's claims of '400 paar'.

Hyderabad: BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had orchestrated a conspiracy to arrest him on corruption charges. However, the attempt failed as no evidence of corruption could be found, he said, adding that now, the Congress government in Telangana was trying to file cases to malign and suppress his party.

In an interview with vernacular media channel ETV, Chandrashekhar Rao said Modi had tried his best to implicate him in corruption cases, just like the BJP had targeted Arvind Kejriwal and Hemant Soren. However, with the BJP failing to find any evidence of any corruption, the attempts turned futile. On the arrest of his daughter and BRS MLC K Kavitha, he said it was a “vengeance arrest”, since he had sent a police team after BJP’s BL Santosh for attempting to topple the democratically elected BRS government in Telangana. He also said her arrest was proof that there was no collusion between the BJP and the BRS, as the Congress was alleging.

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Stating that Modi’s time had come to an end, Chandrashekhar Rao said people were not ready to tolerate Modi anymore as he was speaking as per his whims and attempting to create a communal divide.

“If the BJP is so strong, the Prime Minister would not need to stoke communal sentiments,” he said on the BJP’s claims of ‘400 paar’.

Predicting the emergence of a coalition government at the national level, with significant roles for the BRS and other regional parties, he hinted at a decline in BJP’s influence, especially in South India where the party was unlikely to win more than 10 seats. On the BJP’s claims of spending crores of rupees for development of Telangana, the BRS supremo dared Modi for an open debate in this regard. He stated that Telangana’s contribution to the nation was greater than what the Centre gave to the State in terms of funds.

Chandrashekhar Rao also expressed concern over the governance of the Congress party in Telangana, stating that within just five months, people were already disappointed. He remained optimistic about his party’s prospects in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, asserting that the BRS would secure at least 12 seats and play a pivotal role in forming a coalition government at the Centre.

In response to questions regarding the public response to his bus tour across the State, the former Chief Minister highlighted a significant shift in sentiment since the Assembly elections. He cited discontent among the populace due to unfulfilled promises by the Congress government, leading to a surge in support for the BRS. He also criticised the Chief Minister’s behaviour and derogatory language during his poll campaign, which was negatively impacting the Congress party’s prospects.

He ruled out the possibility of Revanth Reddy waiving off crop loans at one go, citing RBI restrictions. “Despite waiving off crop loans amounting to Rs.30,000 crore in two phases, we found it difficult to implement it at one go. The Chief Minister already missed his own deadlines of December 9, 100 days and now, he is promising to waive it off by August 15. What is the guarantee that he will not postpone it again?” he asked, also terming as absurd the release of the Rythu Bandhu investment support at the end of the cropping season.

When asked about the issues raised during the campaign, Chandrashekhar Rao emphasised the BRS’s role in fighting for Telangana’s interests, particularly concerning water resources like Krishna and Godavari Rivers. He said the Centre and Modi were threatening the State’s resources. Vowing to protect Telangana’s rights, he criticised the lack of performance of incumbent BJP MPs in the State, who were neglecting their constituencies.

Dismissing the Congress’s claims of fiscal mismanagement during his rule, he attributed the State’s debt to necessary investments for development. He also refuted the Congress’s accusations of corruption in the Kaleshwaram project and welcomed the judicial probe initiated by the State government. He asserted that Telangana had witnessed low levels of corruption, facilitating its rapid development under his administration. He dismissed allegations of negligence in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project, attributing any issues to natural challenges rather than incompetence. The Congress was attempting to tarnish his image by levelling false corruption charges with no concrete evidence.

With regard to BJP’s alleged attempts to remove reservations, Chandrashekhar Rao warned of depriving opportunities in government jobs and politics. He feared that removal of reserved constituencies would reduce opportunities for SCs and STs in politics. He reiterated that the BRS would oppose any such move.

Predicting political uncertainty in Telangana after the Lok Sabha polls, he also hinted at a shift in alliances. He said the BRS would take the appropriate decision at the right time. He also downplayed the impact of defections on the BRS, attributing it to personal opportunism of individuals.