HYDERABAD: A day after he said that it was better to quit public life while he still had the love and affection of people, Chief Minister KCR’s nephew and Irrigation minister T Harish Rao on Saturday said that it was just an emotional outburst and there was nothing political about it. “Those who are against me are resorting to a propaganda that I have no importance in TRS,” Rao said.
At a public meeting on Friday in Siddipet Assembly segment, the minister had said: “I am moved by your love and affection. Perhaps, I should quit politics. I am of the feeling that this (affection and love) is enough for this birth.”
This statement by Harish Rao while the Assembly elections are round the corner has given enough ammunition to opposition parties like Congress and BJP to take on TRS. While Congress leader and former MP Madhu Yashki Goud said that Harish Rao’s statement was a family drama. Goud felt that those who were unhappy with KCR would rally behind Harish Rao.
Similarly, BJP spokesperson Raghunandan Rao said in Medak that efforts were on to send Harish Rao out of TRS. He felt that instead of Harish Rao, Chief Minister KCR himself would contest from Siddipet in the Assembly elections.
With political rivals taking advantage of his comments, it seems that TRS has gone on damage control mode on Saturday. In the evening, Harish Rao issued a statement that his Friday’s statement had nothing to do with politics. “There is nothing behind my statement that is has to do anything with quitting politics. I made those comments out of emotion, after witnessing the public response at a meeting while it was raining.
The locals extended a grand welcome to me on Friday despite heavy rains. After witnessing this, I thought that I do not require anything except love and affection of people. My comments were out of emotion. Those against me are spreading lies that I have no importance in TRS,” he said.