BJP Vengeful, Trying to Squeeze TS: KTR

Hyderabad: The BRS on Saturday said the Centre was being “vengeful” and “deliberately trying to squeeze the Telangana government to make it look bad,” with BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao accusing the BJP-led Government of India of being “jealous” of Telangana’s progress under Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao.

Even as he attacked the BJP government at the Centre, Rama Rao, in a freewheeling chat with reporters, continued his party’s attack on the Congress saying the Opposition party’s history with Telangana and its neglect of the region is “its millstone. Congress ko moka diya 11 baar, Congress ney dhoka diya 11 baar (Congress got 11 chances, 11 times they deceived people).”

On the issue of how the Telangana government was being targeted by the Centre, he said: “I am accusing the Government of India of being absolutely vengeful. This government of the BJP, particularly this dispensation, is capable of pulling stunts like this to make us look bad. The Centre stopped funds coming to the state, squeezing us, for instance by way of trying to disrupt some of our flagship programmes like 24X7 power supply.”

He said: “They are jealous. They are incapable of raising their per capita (income). We are a better performing state then them anyway.”

Rama Rao said: “Congress, with its history of neglect of Telangana, despite repeated chances it was given, doesn’t even have candidates for 40 constituencies. And people remember its rule from 2004 to 2014. Congress is the party that ran a ‘kumbakonala Kumbh Mela’. It is the party that sold its state president’s post, and it talks about corruption. Its own leaders are approaching the ED asking for probes against the state party chief.”

The BRS leader also said that Rahul Gandhi should do his homework before visiting Telangana again, to learn how the state progressed in the past nine-and-a-half years. “For now, Rahul should stick to making dosas and learn how to make idlis when he comes here,” he said.

On the BRS’ prospects, Rama Rao said his party will win more seats than it did in the 2018 elections, when it notched 88 wins among 119 seats it contested. “For instance, an internal survey showed that we would win in Manthani and Ramagundam, which I could not believe. So, the survey agency went back to check and returned saying that the perception of people at the ground is different and that we would win from these seats too,” he said.

Mocking the BJP, Rama Rao said they may have to field Etala Rajendar from all 119 constituencies.

Rama Rao said Rajendar, contesting from Huzurabad and Gajwel, will lose both places. “The BJP threw in the towel even before the battle began. There is widespread support for KCR, people have faith in him, and we are going to win. And the next Chief Minister will be KCR,” he said, responding to a question if he would be the next Telangana Chief Minister if BRS wins.

On the BRS’ ties with AIMIM, he said MIM is a “friendly party, not an ally. And unlike Shiva Sena, with which Congress has ties in Maharashtra, and which says it is a Hindu party, the MIM never claimed that is a party for the Muslims.”

He said the Congress, which sought and got MIM support from 2004 to 2014, would do better not to talk about which party is communal.

Rama Rao said Congress, in its 10 years of rule before Telangana was formed, gave only 24,000 jobs, and had no right to talk about employment issues. “We gave 1.30 lakh jobs, that is 13,000 jobs a year. And quickly took corrective steps when the TSPSC question paper leaked. And it is Congress that goes to court, stops the recruitment process and complains that there are no recruitments. The youth should understand this,” he said.