The Chief Minister explained that permission for a recent meeting proposed by Pawan Kalyan was denied solely on law-and-order grounds
Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday accused the BJP and the BRS of spreading false propaganda over the rejection of AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination papers, and attempting to divert attention from an “undemocratic” episode in Madhya Pradesh.
Speaking during an informal interaction with journalists in Delhi, Revanth Reddy also rejected allegations linking him to remarks praising Adolf Hitler and asserted that no person committed to democracy would ever describe the Nazi dictator as an inspiration.
He reiterated that there had been no discussion with the Congress high command on Cabinet expansion and dismissed reports suggesting otherwise. Revanth Reddy also stated that during his recent meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it was the Prime Minister who had embraced him and not the other way around.
Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP had exposed its “ill intentions” by fielding a third candidate in Madhya Pradesh despite lacking the numbers. He questioned why the BJP entered the contest without sufficient numbers and accused the party of conspiring in advance to influence the outcome.
The Chief Minister alleged that the returning officer had acted like a BJP worker and claimed there was no pending criminal case in Telangana whatsoever against Natarajan. He described the rejection of her nomination as deeply painful, unfortunate and undemocratic, accusing the BJP of being both anti-democratic and anti-women.
The Chief Minister said the BJP had so far been known for “vote chori' and had now graduated to “seat chori.” He alleged that the party was spreading misinformation by branding Congress leaders as covert supporters of the BJP in an attempt to escape scrutiny over the controversy.
Revanth Reddy remarked that the BJP appeared to have moved beyond taking inspiration from Nathuram Godse and was now emulating North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. He accused BJP leaders of behaving like Kim and said that, just as elections are held in North Korea with predetermined outcomes, the BJP was undermining democratic principles in India through one-party dominance and manipulation.
On the issue of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, Revanth Reddy clarified that he was free to visit Telangana, travel across the state and contest elections. He said Telangana ministers had criticised Pawan Kalyan only because of statements perceived as being against the interests of Telangana.
The Chief Minister explained that permission for a recent meeting proposed by Pawan Kalyan was denied solely on law-and-order grounds. He, however, questioned why meetings of opposition leader Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy were denied permission in Andhra Pradesh and demanded an explanation from Pawan Kalyan.
Revanth Reddy also accused the Centre of discriminating against Telangana and squarely blamed Union minister G. Kishan Reddy for delays in approvals for key infrastructure projects. He alleged that Kishan Reddy had blocked the Hyderabad Metro Rail expansion and was also hindering the Regional Ring Road project.
The Chief Minister claimed that the failure to secure Central funds for several projects was due to Kishan Reddy’s actions and challenged him to prove that he had ever spoken in favour of Telangana’s interests. He accused Kishan Reddy of acting as per the directions of BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao.
Questioning Kishan Reddy's commitment to the state, Revanth Reddy asked whether Kishan Reddy had ever raised Telangana’s concerns with Modi. He further questioned why Kishan Reddy had not spoken to the Maharashtra Chief Minister regarding the Tummidihatti project and asked whether he could declare that he would not attend Cabinet meetings until Maharashtra agreed to Telangana’s demands.
Drawing a comparison with the transfer of four mandals to Andhra Pradesh for the Polavaram project, the Chief Minister asked whether Kishan Reddy could secure 1,500 acres from Maharashtra in Telangana’s interest. Revanth Reddy stated that he raised the Tummidithatti barrage issue with the Prime Minister as well as Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis during his meetings in Delhi on Thursday. Revanth Reddy said he got indications that a meeting between the Telangana and Maharashtra governments on the Tummidihatti issue would be held in July.
