Nizamabad: Protagonists of the Telangana statehood movement, including a sizeable chunk of BRS leaders, claimed “utter neglect” during the nine-and-a-half-year rule of the K. Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government and are hoping to get their dues from the Congress government.
After Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, in the run-up to Assembly polls, assured to provide 250-square yard plots to those who fought for a separate Telangana and Rs.25,000 monthly aid to kin of those who died during the fight for statehood, many are lining up to avail of benefits under the Congress’ Six Guarantees.
This also includes a majority of Telangana statehood fight participants who are members of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
They said that people from all walks of life lost out on their studies, employment and finances as they intensified the Telangana movement from 2009 to 2014. They also faced numerous police cases and were sent to jail.
They bemoaned a lack of provision for Telangana protagonists to either get land or pension in the BRS regime, which came to power after the formation of a separate Telangana state on June 2, 2014.
Hoping for a bright future in the new state, under the then TRS rule, a majority of the statehood participants worked with BRS for the past 10 years, but failed to get any benefit. A few of them had also openly opposed then-chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s administration.
Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, senior BRS leader Puppala Ravi said that they were vexed with the rule of K. Chandrashekar Rao for the past 10 years.
“Inviting applications from the Telangana protagonists and martyr families by the Congress government is a big relief for us. We are hopeful of sops declared by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and proud of finally being recognised as Telangana’s protagonists,” he said.
Students and advocates become scapegoats in the BRS rule, he said.
The Telangana students' joint action committee met the Nizamabad police commissioner, Kalmeshwar Singanevar, seeking details of cases lodged against them during the statehood movement.
Students JAC Nizamabad district president Methri Rajasekhar said that they will apply for 250-square-yard plots under the Congress’ guarantees soon. “Police cases and FIR details should be quoted in the application forms to get the benefit. Each student faced more than dozen cases during the separate Telangana movement,” he said.
They said that in view of police cases, Telangana student JAC leaders failed to get government jobs in united Andhra Pradesh. For the past 10 years, numerous student leaders crossed the age bar limit in job recruitment. They are now urging the state government to provide them with a pension.
BRS leaders in Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts also approached local police stations to get details of cases filed against them during the Telangana movement, to apply for benefits under the Congress regime.
