TRS protests against PM\'s remarks on Telangana formation

HYDERABAD: Protests erupted across Telangana on Wednesday against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the formation of Telangana state following a call given by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS).

TRS leaders and cadres including ministers, MLAs, MLCs held bike rallies in their respective constituencies and districts wearing black dresses, badges, headbands, scarves and holding black flags. Funeral processions were held for effigies of Modi and the BJP which were set on fire later. They staged rasta rokos at major junctions of various towns and burnt the effigies of Modi and the BJP.

In Hyderabad, TRS leaders along with students staged a demonstration at Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park and released black balloons into the sky. TRS MPs held a protest at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on Parliament premises and raised slogans against Modi and the BJP.

In Siddipet, finance minister T. Harish Rao, who took part in a protest rally, demanded that the Prime Minister must justify how the passage of the farm laws Bills was democratic and scientific, despite the ruling BJP not having adequate majority in the Rajya Sabha and the entire Opposition parties objecting to it. He wondered how the passage of AP Reorganisation Bill which received consent from a total 33 parties including the then ruling Congress and the main Opposition BJP, could be termed undemocratic and unscientific.

In Jangaon, the burning of Modi's effigy led to clashes between the TRS and the BJP activists. When the BJP activists tried to prevent burning of Modi's effigy, the TRS activists chased them away with sticks. The police had to resort to mild lathi-charge to disperse both sides.

BC welfare and civil supplies minister Gangula Kamalakar who held dharna at Karimnagar said that Modi, unable to stomach the development taking place in Telangana since 2014, was hatching a conspiracy to reunite the two Telugu states.

In a media statement, MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha said, "People of Telangana have come together to unanimously reject PM Modi Ji's remarks on the formation of our beloved Telangana. The Prime Minister’s insensitivity towards Telangana state hurt the feelings of
our people and the families of the martyrs who made the supreme sacrifice of lives, fighting for Telangana."

Energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy, who took part in protest rallies in Nalgonda, said people of Telangana would teach a befitting lesson to the BJP in the upcoming elections as they realised that BJP was 'anti-Telangana' after looking at the Prime Minister’s comments.

Modi should apologise for remarks on TS: KTR

Municipal administration and urban development minister K.T. Rama Rao demanded an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks on Telangana statehood in Rajya Sabha.

Speaking after inaugurating Phase II of ring main project works which intends to provide drinking water to villages and gated communities inside the outer ring road (ORR) at Ibrahimpatnam, Rama Rao said Modi told lies in Parliament, which was considered to be the temple of democracy. He said the Prime Minister was resorting to creating hatred instead of instilling confidence in Parliament.

“As a Prime Minister, how can Modi make meaningless statements? His remarks are nothing but belittling Telangana agitation and sacrifices made by martyrs who fought for separate statehood,” he said.

Stating that the Prime Minister delivered an unnecessary speech in Rajya Sabha, the TRS working president said the Centre did not give a penny to Telangana in the last seven years. He said Modi did not even announce any sanction during his recent visit where he unveiled the Statue of Equality in Hyderabad.  He called upon the TRS workers to be alert and to keep an eye on the BJP's false propaganda.

The minister alleged that the saffron party bore a grudge against Telangana and merged seven mandals of erstwhile Khammam district with Andhra Pradesh and also handed over Sileru power project to the residuary state.