Modi talks about Hindu dharma, failed to develop Vemulawada temple, says KCR

Sircilla was a hub for handloom weavers, where scores of weavers died by suicide due to lack of livelihood opportunities over the years.

Hyderabad: BRS president and former Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao on Friday came down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who recently visited Sri Raja Rajeswara Swamy temple at Vemulawada, for not making any tangible efforts to develop the temple in the last 10 years.

He said neither Modi who raises the slogan of “Desham Kosam, Dharmam Kosam” (For the country, For righteousness) and MP Bandi Sanjay who boasts of being a Hindu everyday, did nothing for development of the temple or Vemulawada town

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“The previous BRS government acquired 35 acres of land and developed the temple to decongest the premises and expand it. But Sanjay did not ask for any funds nor did the Prime Minister promise any funds for development of the temple,” he said at a roadshow at Siricilla on the last day of his bus tour on Friday.

Earlier, Chandrashekhar Rao pointed at the plight of handloom weavers and the failure of governments in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh to address their grievances adequately.

Sircilla was a hub for handloom weavers, where scores of weavers died by suicide due to lack of livelihood opportunities over the years.

“But after the BRS formed the government, we implemented numerous schemes and also placed government orders for Bathukamma sarees, school uniforms, and other requirements to ensure livelihood for weavers.” he said, adding that however, the present State government failed to clear pending bills amounting to Rs 370 crore pertaining to handloom orders, while a Congress leader made disparaging remarks to weavers who went to him seeking assistance, by asking them to sell condoms and papads.

Modi became the first Prime Minister to impose taxes on handlooms and cancel ongoing schemes including insurance for weavers.

Modi also neglected the welfare of farmers, labourers and the poor, he said, stating that the BJP’s agenda prioritised corporate interests over the poor. Modi did not sanction a textile park for Sircilla weavers despite repeated requests, while the Congress worsened their lives by stopping schemes initiated by the previous BRS government and by not clearing pending bills.

The Congress gave impractical promises and cheated all sections of the society without implementing them. “The ruling party implemented only a free bus service for women which led to women fighting for seats in buses and auto-rickshaw drivers struggling for livelihood.

If people vote for the Congress again in Lok Sabha polls, they will claim it as an approval of their inaction,” he said.

Pointing out that Modi was conspiring to divert Godavari River water to Tamil Nadu and deprive water to agricultural fields in Telangana, Chandrashekhar Rao said Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was planning to undo the good work of the previous BRS government including doing away with Rajanna Sircilla district.

He emphasised the need for having BRS MPs in parliament to stop both Modi and Revanth Reddy from hurting the interests of Telangana.