KT Rama Rao slams Congress for settlers' remark

Hyderabad: IT Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Wednesday accused Congress Party of trying to divide Seemandhra people living in Telangana by terming them as ‘settlers’. He supported Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent remarks on the Congress, who termed it as 'bailgaadi', with reference to senior Congress leaders, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

“While the TRS is calling all people living in Telangana state as Telanganites, the Congress is dividing them by calling them ‘settlers’ for selfish political gains in 2019 elections. They are trying to divide people and rake up regional emotions to secure few seats in 2019 elections,” Rao remarked.

During a talk with media persons, Rama Rao said TPCC Chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has been openly giving statements that the Congress will offer tickets to settlers within GHMC limits for 2019 polls and by doing so, they are dividing people living in Hyderabad.

“During Telangana statehood agitation days, they carried a vicious campaign against TRS saying that if Telangana state is formed, there will be no security to lives and properties of Seemandhra people in Hyderabad. However, we have proved it wrong in these four years of TRS rule. In fact, they feel more secure and are living happily in Telangana. With 2019 elections approaching, the Congress is again trying to rake up regional emotions with settlers’ issue. 

There are no settlers here. For TRS, all those living in Hyderabad or elsewhere in Telangana are Telanganites. I urge Seemandhra people to remain cautious against such disruptive forces,” Rao added.

Referring to Congress’ threat that they will send the CM and his family members to jail for corruption, after they come to power in 2019, Rao said: "This will be decided by the courts and not by Uttam or Kodandaram."

He ridiculed Uttam's claims that the Congress will bag 75 Assembly seats out of 119 and form government in Telangana. "Maybe, he is referring to Congress winning 75 Lok Sabha seats in the entire country. They could not win even 20 LS seats in any state."

Rao said except Uttam and Jana Reddy, everyone in Congress is trying to join TRS if they offer tickets but TRS has been refusing because it can't accommodate all of them.

"Congress leaders cannot do a single thing on their own. Even to go to bathroom, they have to take high command's permission," he snubbed.

He mocked at Congress saying that the party's own newspaper National Herald published Rafale scam as 'another Bofors' and this shows how foolish they are.

Uttam may grow a beard, but TRS will retain power
Minister for IT, municipal administration and urban development K. Taraka Rama Rao on Wednesday came down heavily on opposition parties and said TPCC chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy was growing his beard thinking that it would scare the TRS government, but in vain. TRS will remain in the power with the blessings of people, the minister said. “He (Mr Uttam) may look like a sanyasi with a long beard, but the TRS will continue to be in power,” he said. 

Mr Rama Rao said the Congress was responsible for the backwardness in the country and its leaders lost their credibility among people. He said the opposition parties were always trying to oust Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao from the post. “They want to oust TRS government for its successful governance, Kaleshwaram project, financial aid and insurance for farmers and other flagship programmes,” the IT minister said. 

Mr Rama Rao said senior Congress leaders except Mr K. Jana Reddy and Mr Uttam are showing an interest to join the TRS. “We are not encouraging them to join in our party,” he said, adding that Mr Uttam’s claim of 75 seats may be that of Congress’s total MP seats in the country. 

The IT minister also said that IT exports have reached '1 lakh crore in Telangana state. In 2013-14 financial year, the exports were Rs 56,000 crore and the state had targeted to raise it to Rs 1.20 lakh crore, he said. 

“We will reach the target by next financial year” he said, adding that the TRS government was planning to extend the IT services to Tier-II cities in the state. 
Mr Rama Rao said this after he, along with MP K. Kavitha and Nizamabad Urban MLA Bigala Ganesh Gupta, set the foundation stone for a '50 crore IT Hub, here on Wednesday.

Speaking at the public meeting here at Government Polytechnic ground, the minister said that the IT industry will be extended to Nizamabad, Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam districts for the growth of state.