KARIMNAGAR: Health and Family Welfare Minister Eatela Rajender on Thursday became emotional during a meeting in Huzurabad, made sensational comments and later corrected himself by throwing the blame on the vernacular TV channels for distorting his statements. Rajender said that Cabinet berth was not ‘biksha’ (alms) to him in the meeting, but later clarified that he was a “solider of TRS and CM K Chandrasekhar Rao was his boss”.
In the wake of recent reports on social media, that Rajender might be dropped from the Cabinet in the next reshuffle, the minister made some sensational comments at a meeting in Huzurabad. “For the past five years, I have not taken a bribe of even Rs 5,000. I do not need to answer to anyone. If you can prove any allegation against me, I will quit politics immediately,” he said.
He was reacting to reports in a section of the media and also widely circulated messages in social media, that had accused him leaking party and government information to Revenue department employee associations. This was in light of the new Revenue Act the State government plans to enact soon.
In a rare show of emotion, he said, “I have helped a lot of people during my time in public office. This minister post is not ‘biksha’ (alms) given to me by someone.”
Rajender said that he was someone who had joined TRS right at the beginning. “I have participated in the Telangana movement right from the beginning. I fought for Telangana’s self-respect. I have braved death threats and intimidation to keep the Telangana flag flying high,” he said. He said in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, he hadn’t even feared the then Chief Minister YS Rajashekara Reddy, someone who had insulted him several times.
The minister also went philosophical. “Power is not permanent; dharma and justice (law) are. I do not take the responsibility given to me (as a minister) easily,” he said. He added that people “could not escape dharma”.However, late in the evening, Rajender, in a press release, clarified that he had reacted as some leaders wanted him to respond on the media reports.