VIJAYAWADA: Launching a tirade against his TRS counterpart K Keshava Rao, TDP Rajya Sabha MP TG Venkatesh sought to know where was the former in Telangana agitation? Except consuming alcohol and massaging the legs of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, what else was his role in the agitation? he questioned.Taking strong exception to the remarks of Keshava Rao terming his statements made a few days ago as cheap utterance, Venkatesh said, ‘I am from Rayalaseema and I have hot blood flowing in my body.’ “But, you (Rao) have only alcohol as you drink by night and massage the legs of leaders round-the-clock. Except that what else are you doing?” Venkatesh said.
Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi on Friday, the TDP leader described Rao as a mad man.
“We came to know that a person like Rao is aspiring to become Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. If such a situation befalls us, I will resign from the Rajya Sabha. “There will be no reason to continue in case of such ‘baseless’ person becomes Deputy Chairman of the Upper House,” he added.The TDP MP recently said that people of Andhra settled in Telangana would not vote for the TRS in case of the party not extending support to AP for getting special category status. His remarks drew criticism from TRS leaders, including Keshava Rao.
Against such backdrop, Venkatesh defended his statement and said that people not only from Andhra and Rayalaseema but also from Telangana would not support the TRS if it failed to fight for achieving the rights given in the AP Reorganisation Act.
“Though the onus of setting up two steel plants, one each in AP and TS, is on the Centre as per the Reorganisation Act, the TS government, instead of fighting for its right, wants to build one with its own funds. If you have more money, introduce more welfare schemes. But, it is not fair on the part of TRS regime to give such statements as they may prompt the PM to show an empty hand to AP,’’ he said.