Hyderabad: Several leaders of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) celebrated Telangana Formation Day across the state on Monday, June 2.
Speaking on the occasion at the Telangana Bhavan, BRS Maheshwaram MLA P Sabitha Indra Reddy said that during her tenure as the home minister in the Congress government of undivided Andhra Pradesh, she often considered resigning from the post, after witnessing the supreme sacrifices by the people of Telangana for its formation.
“I visited K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) during his fast unto death and tried convincing him to eat. But he made it clear that he would not touch a morsel of food until Telangana is formed,” she said.
Recalling the ‘Sagara Haram‘ protest, held on Necklace Road, Sabitha Reddy said, “KCR risked his life to achieve Telangana statehood.”
Echoing her sentiments, former BRS MP B Vinod Kumar credited KCR’s constant efforts, resulting in 32 political parties writing to the Manmohan Singh government in support of Telangana statehood.
Siddipet BRS MLA T Harish Rao said that chief minister Revanth Reddy was able to attend the Telangana Formation Day celebrations today only because of the party chief. “KCR was neither wealthy nor powerful. With a strong heart, he waged a relentless struggle to achieve statehood,” he said.
Harish Rao said KCR is a believer of Telangana professor K Jayashankar’s ideologies. “In 2009, KCR boldly questioned the then CM of undivided Andhra Pradesh, N Chandrababu Naidu, over his stance on Telangana’s formation. At the time, KCR was the TDP’s state secretary, but he resigned in protest, a move that led to the birth of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Inspired by his leadership, we too resigned and joined his fight for statehood,” the leader said.
Harish Rao also made it clear that BRS wasn’t trying to have alliances with any political party. “We will come back to power with 100 MLAs,” he said.
Criticising the state government for not doing enough to stop Andhra Pradesh government from going ahead with the Banakacherla lift irrigation scheme on the Godavari river which could put Telangana at loss, Harish Rao said that BRS would approach the top court for justice of the state government failed to protect the state’s interests.
He also criticised Revanth Reddy for not clearing the bills amounting to Rs 1,200 crore payable to the small contractors, but clearing the bills amounting to Rs 12,000 crore for the big contractors. “You don’t have funds to implement welfare schemes, but have enough money to spend on a Miss World pageant,” he quipped.
Not holding back, Harish Rao took a dig at the Revanth Reddy government, stating that the Miss World contestants saw the development in Hyderabad, built by KCR in the last decade. “The things you want to erase from history can’t be erased. As long as Telangana state is there, KCR’s name will fly high,” Harish Rao asserted.
Telangana Jagruthi holds poetry recitation
BRS MLC and Telangana Jagruthi president K Kavitha held a poetry recitation event called ‘Yuva Keratalu‘ in Hyderabad on the occasion of Telangana Formation Day.
Speaking at the event, she encouraged young poets to write poems in various languages.
“Poets carry huge responsibilities. They are people who stand with the truth without an ounce of fear,” she said.
