KTR slams Revanth for Comments on Ponnala, Invites Ponnala to join BRS

Hyderabad: Telangana Congress president A. Revanth Reddy came under intense fire on Saturday from the BRS with its working president K.T. Rama Rao contending that the Congress leader had crossed all limits of decency with respect to Ponnala Lakshmaiah, the senior politician, who, on Friday, quit the Congress and is now all set to join the ruling party.

Rama Rao on Saturday called on Lakshmaiah at the latter’s residence to invite him to join the BRS. Speaking to mediapersons later, he said the insults heaped on Lakshmaiah by Revanth Reddy made it clear why no one from the Backward Class communities should support the Congress.

“It was extremely unfortunate what Revanth said about Ponnala, a senior politician and a strong voice for the BC communities,” Rama Rao said, referring to the Congress leader’s comments that there was no need for Lakshmaiah to leave the party “before his death.”

Alluding to a saying in Telugu, ‘kanakapu simhasanamuna sunkamu kurchundabetti.. (a dog on a golden throne is still a dog)’, Rao said one only has to see at the person appointed as the Pradesh Congress Committee chief, “a vote for note thief”, to understand the consequences of such actions. “Who knows when death comes? Who knows what a person can do till that moment, who knows what services a person can offer to the state and the country till then?” Rao asked.

“What is Revanth’s history? He started in the BJP-RSS, then was in TRS, then went to BJP and is now in the Congress. A man like that should not speak about morals,” the BRS working president added.

Reddy’s comments have made it clear that Congress has no regard for the BC communities, he said. “The Congress has not an iota of respect for leaders who served the party for 40 years. Why should such leaders be in that party? And why should BC communities support such a party,” he asked.

He said he invited Lakshmaiah to meet Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday following which the senior leader will provide details about what his role will be in the BRS.

“We will ensure that his experience and political career are recognised,” Rama Rao said answering a question on whether Lakshmaiah will be fielded from Jangaon, his regular seat.

Lakshmaiah said he would not like to comment on what Revanth Reddy said about him, but added that “the person who called me shameless should ask himself if he has any shame. What more can I say? I do not have to stoop down to that level. That was so sad, so bad. What is his background, what are the achievements of the PCC president? How dare he talk to me like that, a senior person, or for that matter anybody.”

He said, “positions in politics are for coordination, counselling and communicating and not for dictating.”