Hyderabad: Leaders of Opposition parties, on Saturday, condemned the verbal attack launched by Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on them and on Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) chairman Professor M Kodandaram, stating that the comments reflected the “arrogant mindset” of the Chief Minister and that they were “indecent and undignified”.
“I cannot use intemperate words like the Chief Minister used against me and other Opposition leaders. It is below my dignity to repay in him in the same coin,” leader of Opposition in the Assembly K Jana Reddy said.
“As Chief Minister, Mr Chandrasekhar Rao should not be arrogant and talk in this manner of national leaders of the Congress including Mrs Sonia Gandhi who granted statehood,” he said.
He said he was pained at being called a “thief” by Rao, and that no one had accused him of wrongdoing in last 40 years of his political life as the Chief Minister had done.
Speaking elsewhere, Prof Kodandaram said, “I can only say Chandrasekhar Rao after becoming Chief Minister has completely ignored those who worked for Telangana and started working with those who betrayed Telangana.”
“As far as the Chief Minister’s comments against me are concerned, I have decided to leave it to his wisdom. Statehood was achieved by several persons, not by one individual,” he said.
At a separate media conference, TS TD working president A Revanth Reddy said that even before Rao had launched his indefinite fast seeking statehood, several Joint Action Committees and leaders had held many agitations. He said Prof Kodandaram was honest and was the guiding force behind several agitations for statehood.
BJP Legislature Party leader G Kishen Reddy said, without the BJP’s support, Telangana statehood would not have come about. He said that BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had challenged the UPA many times to bring the Telangana Bill. He said the CM was known for being arrogant.
