Telangana, national BJP not in tune again on Bathukamma

Hyderabad: While the state leaders of the BJP are highly critical of ex-MP K. Kavitha, daughter of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, ‘for cashing in’ on the Bathukamma festival in the bypoll-bound Huzur-nagar assembly constituency, a union minister of the party has appreciated her efforts at popularising Telang-ana’s state festival across the world.

Though Kavitha is not directly involved in campaigning for the TRS in the byelection, her NGO Telangana Jagru-thi has organised Bathukamma programmes in 141 villages within the Huzurnagar constituency. These celebrations started on September 28 and will continue till October 6.

Incidentally, the former MP had played a key role in the movement for a separate Telangana state, particularly in bringing women together to participate in the agitation. Through her NGO Telangana Jagruthi, she conducted Bathukamma in each and every village of the state as well as in foreign countries to mobilise people in favour of Telangana statehood.

BJP MLC Ramchander Rao, who himself will be participating in Bathu-kamma in London, commented last Saturday that with Kavitha as its brand ambassador, the Bathukamma festival is being hijacked for the past five years by the Kalvakuntla family, rather than being a people-oriented festival. “KCR is using his daughter’s NGO for his own political benefit,” he remarked.

BJP leader T.R. Srinivas too sang the same tune and said, “Conducting Bathukamma programmes will not save TRS from defeat in the Huzurnagar byelection, as the people of Telangana state have discerned it as family-oriented politics of KCR.”

Thus, while the state leaders of the saffron party are highly critical of Kavitha attending a Bathukamma event in Mumbai as chief guest, Union Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Arvind Sawant, said, “Telangana Jagruthi is playing a key role in taking the Bathukamma festival to the international level. Telugus and Marathis share a bond and their cultures are also very similar.” Sawant went on to appreciate Kavitha for her efforts in bringing world-wide fame for Telangana’s state festival of Bathukamma.