Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Wednesday refused to comment on handing over the reins of the TRS to his son K.T. Rama Rao before the 2019 elections.
When asked during the press conference about speculations on this issue, Mr Rao replied, “You yourselves are saying that they are speculations. Let them remain so. I don’t want to comment on that.”
Mr Rao clarified that the government had not “abolished” Dharna Chowk near Indira Park yet, and maintained that the shifting of the Chowk was being done based on the High Court’s observations.
“Morning walkers at Indira Park and residents filed PILs in the High Court seeking shifting of Dharna Chowk on the ground that it was causing severe inconvenience to them. Let the final orders come from the court. We will act accordingly,” Mr Rao said.
The CM also refuted allegations that the government was scuttling the voice of Opposition and civil organisations by abolishing Dharna Chowk.
“We have given them four options to hold dharnas on four sides of the city. Expressing dissent is the beauty of democracy. I too participated in several dharnas and I strongly value this. In these days of live coverage by media, it doesn’t make any difference whether a dharna is held in the heart of the city or on the outskirts. But some vested interests want to create law and order issues in the name of insisting on dharnas only in the midst of the city near Indira Park, which we will not allow to happen,” the CM said.
