KCR ups attack on PM Modi over hijab row

HYDERABAD: Continuing with his blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led government at the Centre, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao accused the BJP of turning Bengaluru from ‘Silicon Valley of India’ into ‘Kashmir Valley’ by raking up hijab controversy.

Addressing a public meeting in Bhongir after inaugurating the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) district office on Saturday, the Chief Minister went all guns blazing at the Prime Minister and the BJP and said the sooner the nation got rid of the BJP government, the better it would be for the country.

Terming the Modi's regime as 'utter-flop government', the Chief Minister said Modi had gone mad and that was why he was bringing mad policies one after the other from farm laws to power reforms. Rao demanded that Modi and BJP national president J.P. Nadda dismiss Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswas Sharma for his offensive comments on Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.

Chandrashekar Rao warned Modi that he would soon expose Centre's corruption, adding that he got information on corrupt deals of a few union ministers. He also came down heavily on Modi for his recent remarks in Rajya Sabha on Telangana formation.

"Why are you raking up the state bifurcation issue now? What are your intentions behind it? I suspect some threat to our state. Telangana people will remain cautious and foil such attempts. KCR alone cannot fight. I will propagate the Centre’s failures in Hindi, Urdu and all other languages. Already, people are calling me over phone and sharing details of rampant corruption at the Centre and by a few MPs," the Chief Minister said.

Rao said the country needed a progressive government and not a 'communally driven government' adding that West Bengal Mamata Banerjee spoke to him over phone on Friday to discuss this issue. He said Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also consulted him on the need to bring a progressive government.

“Mr Prime Minister, is this the culture in your party? Is this the Hindu religion? Is this our country's culture? One of your Chief Ministers is asking a politician who the latter's father is. As an Indian, I'm ashamed and I feel like crying. This is not a good thing for the country,” Rao remarked.

He further questioned if this was what was taught by Hindu epics. “You (BJP) are bad people. I request BJP chief Nadda ji that if you are honest and believe in dharma, dismiss the Assam Chief Minister. Can a Chief Minister talk like this? There's a limit to everything,” Rao added.

Referring to “Hijab row” in Karnataka, he said if the peaceful atmosphere of the country was disturbed, no investments would come nor employment opportunities be created.

“What is happening in Karnataka? Women and girls are being harassed in the name of religion. Bengaluru, the Indian Silicon Valley is being turned into Kashmir valley with religious fanaticism… If the eco and peace fabric of the country is ruined, who will come forward to invest and create employment opportunities,” he said.

He categorically stated that Telangana would not implement power reforms proposed by the Central government as the cost of free power to farmers was borne by the state government. Describing the repealed agriculture laws as a “crazy idea” of Modi, Rao said they were withdrawn keeping in mind the Assembly polls in five states.

Referring to the hardships faced by the migrant labourers during the first Covid-19 wave, Rao claimed that it was due to “unthoughtful” lockdown announced by the BJP government at the Centre but they were now accusing those who helped migrant labourers to reach their homes by arranging trains and buses of spreading Covid virus.

Though he wanted to confine to Telangana for its development, some forces were ‘provoking’ him to take a plunge into national politics, he said as justification to play a role at the Centre.