Hyderabad: The ruling TRS party leaders on Sunday came down heavily on BJP national president Amit Shah for his remarks on Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao buying opposition legislators with the money provided by the central government for various schemes.
They said it is better for Mr Shah to disclose how much Central government money they have used to buy MLAs in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh to encourage defections to the BJP.
Irrigation minister T. Harish Rao said, “Is it not a fact that the highest court of the land accused the BJP and passed severe strictures for their enco-uragement of defections in Uttarakhand and Arunachal Pradesh? It is very strange to know that Amit Shah who is a master in the game of defections resorted to speak against our Chief Minister on political defections.’’
He said that the Central government has been showing step motherly treatment to newly-formed Telang-ana state while showering sops on neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
“You are providing 100 per cent assistance to AP’s Polavaram project, while denying the same facility to the Telangana projects. You have merged seven Telangana mandals into AP to protect the Polavaram project. But what you have done so far on bifurcating the High Court? You promised railway zone to Vizag but deny the same to our Kazipet; Is it not step motherly treatment?’’ he asked.
He asked how many pending projects proposed by the Telangana government have been cleared by the Centre. Mr Rao asked Mr Shah to give the details of the so called Rs 90,000 crore he was talking about. According to the Telangana government, the total central government assistance to Telangana did not cross Rs 47,000 crore.
“Telangana people are paying taxes like any other state to the Centre. The state is entitled to get its due share in central taxes. What is great about you (Mr Shah) talking about assistance, are you giving anything from your pocket or is the money given as charity?’’ he asked.
Reacting to Mr Shah’s allegations of the Telangana Chief Minister not celebrating the Hyderabad Liberation Day fearing threats by MIM leader Asaduddin, Mr Rao said it is better for Mr Shah to study Hyderabad state’s history of communal harmony before making such sweeping remarks.
He also wanted to know how many times the Congress and TD-BJP combine governments had celebrated Hyderabad Liberation Day officially in the past few decades. Nizamabad MP Kavitha demanded Mr Shah give details of the Rs 90,000 crore that he was talking about in Warangal.
She said that the BJP leader is known for distorting facts and figures and demanded a statement to clarify what the additional assistance given by the Centre to Telang-ana over and above the state’s entitlements.
