Hyderabad: BRS president and former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, Leader of the Opposition, has rejected an invitation from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to attend the official State Formation Day celebrations on June 2.
In a 22-page letter released by the BRS on Saturday evening, Rao said that owing to the policies and politics of Revanth Reddy and the Congress government which, the BRS chief said were against the interests of the people and Telangana, he would not be attending the celebrations.
In his open letter to Revanth Reddy, Rao said Telangana’s statehood was the result of a long struggle and sacrifices by many martyrs and not a result of a gift to the people from the Congress, as the ruling party was projecting. The history of Congress was replete with examples of suppression of the Telangana movement as was in the case of shooting dead 369 youth in the first struggle for statehood.
The Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park was a testimony to this brutality and the Congress did not even allow the inauguration of the memorial and this would stay forever in history, he said.
“The formation of TRS led to a democratic and parliamentary struggle for state formation in a peaceful manner and setting up of TRS was the best thing that could have happened to help steer the movement to achieve the dream of statehood,” the BRS chief said.
Rao also took direct aim at Revanth Reddy saying he did not even once raised the ‘Jai Telangana’ slogan. “Your reluctance to do so and raise the slogan that is dear to the heart of the people of Telangana, exhbits your state of mind, and this is being objected to by the people” he said.
Despite being Chief Minister for six months, the BRS chief said, Revanth Reddy had not found the time to visit the Martyrs’ Memorial and pay tribute to those who gave up their lives for Telangana. “It is becoming clear that change cannot be expected in your attitude and behaviour on this aspect,” the BRS chief said.
“Amidst all this, the Congress government is leading the state backwards and is not building on the achievements of the first ten years under the BRS party. This is the mood of the public and under these circumstances, it is not proper for me to attend the June 2 events organized by you.”
“It is in protest of you insulting the very essence of Telangana, and your extreme behaviour that the BRS cannot be part of the celebrations. I hope that you will keep your election promises to the people and work for the true development and welfare of Telangana,” Rao said in his letter to the Chief Minister.
