HYDERABAD: To divert attention from real issues like declining GDP, and rising prices of gas, petrol and diesel the Bharatiya Janata Party is focusing on unnecessary topics such as halal, hijab and Munawar Faruqui, said IT and Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday.
Speaking at the Dr BR Ambedkar Open University where he launched study material designed specifically for competitive exams, Rama Rao said that no God had ever asked the people to fight one another for the sake of religion.
The Minister expressed concern over the recent unrest in the Old City following BJP MLA Raja Singh’s derogatory remarks against the Prophet Muhammad. It is meaningless to squabble as to whose God is greater and whose is not, Rama Rao asserted.
“People are still experiencing a shortage of food and drinking water in the country. Society is plagued by several issues. Unfortunately, some are indulging in petty fights in the name of religion instead of focusing on what people need urgently,” he lamented.
Stating that Telangana had progressed during the tenure of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Rama Rao said Naxalism in the State had come down because the government was providing basic necessities to its people. “The Centre can waive the corporate tax of `12 lakh crore to the business and corporate people but they don’t want to give pensions to the poor with `2-3 lakh crore. Instead, they insult the help extended by terming them freebies,” he further said.
Stating that Sircilla Rajanna district was once named the most backward area in Telangana, Rama Rao said that with the construction of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project and revival of village tanks under Mission Kakatiya, the face of the district had changed completely and water availability had improved drastically. The district was now a case study in water management for trainee IAS officers, the Minister declared proudly.