After Bandi, TRS ministers train guns on Jagan too

HYDERABAD: A few ministers made controversial remarks against not only BJP leaders but Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as well while addressing the TRS dharna programmes over paddy procurement issue on Friday.

Labour minister Ch Malla Reddy addressed Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay as "mental Sanjay" while TRS working president and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao called him "Thondi Sanjay". "Thondi" in Telugu slang means those who indulge in 'foul play'.

Malla Reddy went to the extent of cursing the BJP leaders and the party that they would soon face "sarvanashanam" (utter destruction) for troubling Telangana farmers over paddy procurement issue.

Rama Rao came down heavily on Bandi Sanjay for asking farmers to sow paddy in rabi even after his party government at the Centre refused to purchase paddy from Telangana.

"He is not Bandi Sanjay. He is ‘Thondi’ Sanjay. He only knows how to provoke people in the name of religion and by taking the names of Pakistan, China, Akbar, Babar etc. If he has guts, he should compete with me in development. He was elected as Karimnagar MP nearly two and half years ago. But he failed to do work worth even 10 paise. He is now provoking farmers in Telangana to sow paddy in rabi and boasting that he will bend the neck of the government to purchase paddy. Whose neck he will bend? Is it Centre's or Modi's neck? If Sanjay has guts, he should get an approval letter from the Centre stating that it will procure paddy from Telangana in rabi," Rama Rao said.

Roads and buildings minister V. Prashanth Reddy termed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy a 'beggar', saying he was begging before the Centre for funds to meet even day-to-day costs to run the government.

"Seemandhra rulers used to curse during Telangana statehood agitation days that Telangana would beg for funds if the state was bifurcated. Now the same Seemandhra rulers are begging before the Centre after bifurcation of the state. They used to loot Telangana funds in united AP. Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao stopped their loot by achieving Telangana state. With Rao’s efficiency, Telangana has reached a position where it is funding the Centre. But AP CM is begging before the Centre even to meet day-to-day expenditure,"
Prashanth Reddy said.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh I&PR minister Perni Nani strongly countered Reddy's criticism.

Indirectly referring to Chandrashekar Rao frequently meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union home minister Amit Shah in Delhi, Nani said, "Jagan is not like those persons who roam raising their collars in public and touch their feet secretly. Telangana's comfortable financial position is because of Hyderabad capital going to Telangana after bifurcation of AP which was developed by people of all regions including Rayalaseema and Andhra. Despite this, Telangana is now being pushed into a debt trap. If Telangana is so rich, why are they depending on loans every month? Any contractor will tell about the actual financial condition of Telangana," Nani said.