"If Religious, Caste Fanaticism Promoted...": KCR's Veiled Attack On BJP

In a veiled attack on the BJP, ruling BRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, also known as KCR, on Thursday said stoking religious and caste fanaticism and divisiveness in society would lead to undesirable circumstances and a "Taliban-like situation." 

Mr Rao, who addressed a public meeting after inaugurating an integrated district Collectorate at Mahabubabad, said peace, tolerance, and wishing for the welfare of all are important if society is to make great progress.

"If religious and caste fanaticism are promoted, people are divided, such are the policies followed, it will become like hell. It will become like a Taliban-like affair, like Afghanistan, and lead to a terrible situation. Due to this hatred, circumstances in which the country's lifeline itself would get burnt would arise. So, especially, youth should be alert," he said.

Saying that the country and state can achieve progress only if there is a progressive-minded and "impartial" government at the Centre, he said he favoured Telangana showing the way forward to the entire country in future politics.

He alleged that the GSDP of Telangana did not grow as it should have as the incumbent government at the Centre failed to perform on par with the state government.

The GSDP of Telangana was Rs 5 lakh crore at the time of state formation in 2014 and it rose to Rs 11.50 lakh crore today, Mr Rao said.

"Due to the Centre's inefficient policies, Telangana alone lost Rs 3 lakh crore," he said. These figures are given by economists, RBI, and CAG, he claimed.

The GSDP should have been Rs 14.50 lakh crore, but it stood at Rs 11.50 lakh crore due to the Centre's policies, he alleged.

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