RTC stir is Cong bypoll weapon

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress leaders are using the RTC staff strike as their main weapon in the campaign for the Huzurnagar byelection. Congress MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was eying the RTC’s assets across the state.

He alleged that a part of the RTC’s assets in Warangal had been given to a TRS MP. He said Mr Rao should learn from AP Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had moved to benefit the APSRTC.

Mr Venkata Reddy condemned the allegations of the TRS that the Opposition parties were running a propaganda campaign against the RTC. He condemned the comments of TNGOs union leaders questioning the leaders of the RTC strike for its timing.

Party MP A. Revanth Reddy alleged that Mr Rao was trying to “loot” the RTC’s properties. He said that the Chief Minister had told the RTC staff that they would lose their jobs if they stayed away from work for two days. Mr Rao himself was not going to the Secretariat for years, he pointed out.

Congress MLA T. Jayaprakash ‘Jagga’ Reddy warned transport minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar that if the RTC strike was not resolved they would lay besiege his residence. He asked Mr Ajay Kumar to discuss the RTC’s demands with Mr Rao.AICC secretary and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao demanded that Mr Rao resolve the strike immediately. He said that even after the suicide of two RTC workers, the government had not taken steps to end the strike. He said that it was shameful on the part of ministers to allege that RTC workers had sold out to the Opposition parties.