Hyderabad: Denying that there was any secret pact with the BJP for supporting Ram Nath Kovind’s candidature for the post of President, TRS MLC Karne Prabhakar on Saturday said the TRS saw only a “development pact”.
Condemning Telangana state Congress leaders for accusing the TRS of having a secret pact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mr Prabhakar said that the TRS continues to be secular in letter and spirit and supporting the BJP nominee for President’s post couldn’t be considered compromising the secular credentials of TRS.
“If we are communal as alleged by TS Congress leaders, where was the need for us to extend 12 per cent reservations to backward Muslims which is being opposed by BJP,” he asked.
The MLC reminded that it was Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao who made the suggestion to the Prime Minister to field a Dalit as Presidential candidate.
He said that the Congress never approached or consulted the TRS before announcing Meira Kumar as the UPA’s nominee for the President’s post, though the UPA has been holding meetings on finalising the candidate for the last few weeks.
“Congress had earlier defeated Ambedkar in the general elections and now, by not choosing his grandson Prakash Ambedkar as its candidate, the party has again cheated the Ambedkar family,” Mr Prabhakar said.
