BJP Playing Dirty Politics, Congress Announcing Guarantees For Power: KTR

 Launching a scathing attack, ruling BRS Working President in Telangana K T Rama Rao on Tuesday accused the BJP of playing communal politics and the Congress of announcing poll 'guarantees' in a desperate bid to garner votes.

Speaking at an event where a BJP leader joined the BRS, he alleged that "those in government at the Centre" did not like the BRS government celebrating September 17, the day the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad merged with the Indian Union, as 'national integration day'.

"Narendra Modi ji's government at the Centre is playing dirty politics of dividing the society on caste or religious basis, triggering animosities and tensions, creating unnecessary trouble in the name of Hindu or Muslim, raking up old wounds, fomenting communal trouble and trying to derive mileage," he alleged.

The Modi government and BJP did a slew of injustices to Telangana in the last nine years, including merger of 'mandals' (administrative units) in Telangana with Andhra Pradesh at the time of state bifurcation and non-implementation of assurances given to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, said Rama Rao, who is a minister in the state government.

PM Modi had promised to bring back black money and deposit Rs 15 lakh in the bank accounts of the poor, he claimed. But, it did not happen, he said.

However, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has deposited Rs 73,000 crore in the accounts of 70 lakh farmers under the 'Rythu Bandhu' investment support scheme for ryots, said Rama Rao, son of the CM.

He also attacked the BJP-led government over rise in fuel prices, decline in rupee value against the dollar and others.

A BJP leader in Telangana is making a film on the 'Razakars' (armed supporters of Nizam rule) which is an attempt to rake up "old wounds" and foment trouble among people, he claimed.

"On one hand 'Kashmir Files' and on the other 'Kerala Story' and 'Razakar Files'. Since they have done nothing for the country in the last nine years, those who cannot do anything play with emotions and do such cheap politics," Rama Rao said.

Referring to Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi attending a Congress rally in Hyderabad two days ago, he said the Congress is now asking for "one chance" to rule but it was given 11 chances for 55 years by people of Telangana and the country.

The Congress did not ensure drinking water and power supply and did not implement schemes like 'Rythu Bandhu' when it was in power, he claimed.

"Frustration at not being able to come to power. ..They (Congress) are making rash promises to come to power," he said.

On the Congress announcing six guarantees for people at the rally, he alleged that power and drinking water supply woes, problems in availability of seeds, "one chief minister every year" is guaranteed if Congress comes to power, he said.

The Congress government in neighbouring Karnataka is not able to implement the promises it made ahead of the Assembly elections, he claimed.

Telangana, under the rule of KCR, is number one in the country in per capita income and per capita power consumption, provision of piped drinking water to every household and others, he said.

KCR should be re-elected in the Assembly polls (scheduled to be held in a couple of months) as a "hat-trick CM", he said.

The BRS leader's attack on the NDA government with regard to September 17 is a reference to the Centre organising an official function in Hyderabad, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah attending it, to celebrate the 'Hyderabad Liberation Day' and BJP attacking the BRS government for not celebrating the day officially.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)