Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday, February 2, alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s educational certificate has not been revealed, but illiterates and the poor are asked to produce many documents during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll initiated by the EC.
Speaking at an event where he presented an award instituted in memory of late CPI leader Ravi Narayana Reddy to former Supreme Court judge B Sudarshan Reddy, the CM also hit out at BRS for protesting against the examination of its president K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), in the phone-tapping case.
Referring to the proposal of ‘One Nation One Election’, he alleged that it is an attempt to usher in ‘one person – one party’ in the country.
Claiming that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought 400 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls to “remove the Constitution”, he said a simple majority would be adequate to make Constitutional amendments in the public interest.
After the BJP failed to get a simple majority, the party is now conspiring to “remove voting right” of illiterate and poor through the SIR, he claimed.
Birth details of father and grandfather are being asked (as part of SIR), he said.
Though Rahul Gandhi asked for Modi’s educational certificate, it was not revealed, and it was also stated that the matter is beyond the purview of RTI, he said.
What is the problem in showing the certificate after one has completed education, he asked.
Referring to the six-day leadership programme completed by him at Harvard University recently, Reddy said he would produce his certificate if it is sought.
“When your educational certificate is a secret… if the voting right of the uneducated and poor who do not have the opportunity to have education is snatched away by imposing a lot of conditions, they will not have a ration card, aadhar card, land and government schemes. There is a conspiracy behind this and a thought to suppress the poor,” he said.
When the attempt to change the constitution to bring about complete change has been unsuccessful (with the BJP not getting a majority), the Constitution is being attacked in another form, he claimed.
Reddy took exception to the comments of BRS leaders that the examination of KCR in the phone-tapping is an insult to Telangana society, as the former CM is the “Father of Telangana” and a ‘Telangana statehood agitationist’.
He recalled that Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) leader M Kodandaram, who led the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of political parties during the statehood agitation, was arrested by police by breaking down the doors of his house during the previous BRS regime.
“Is Kodandaram not an agitationist? What such a big crime did Kodandaram commit to be dragged by the police after the doors of his house were broken? Have you (BRS) forgotten the insult made to (Telangana) agitationists,” he said.
On KCR‘s demand that the SIT of Telangana Police should examine him at his farmhouse and not at his residence in Hyderabad in the phone-tapping case, Reddy asked if the former’s stance aligns with the stature of a person who is described as ‘Father of Telangana’.
He said former chief ministers of different states, including Shibu Soren, Lalu Prasad, J Jayalalithaa and Yediyurappa, also faced inquiries.
