HYDERABAD: Refuting categorically all the allegations made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, IT Minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday launched a counter-offensive, accusing the former of “self-deception and a tendency to accuse others”.
The minister said that it became a habit for the Prime Minister to speak lies and half-truths whenever he visits Telangana. KTR made it clear that they wouldn’t be cowed down by the Prime Minister’s “intimidating” statements and the central probe agencies
The state got a rail repair shop instead of a coach factory: KTR
“People of Telangana will reject BJP for all the injustices that were meted out to the State in the last nine years,” KT Rama Rao said in a statement. Stating that sanctioning a “rail repair shop” instead of a coach factory, which was a 45-year-old dream, was indeed an insult to the people of Telangana, KTR said that the Prime Minister shifted the Rs 20,000-crore locomotive factory to Gujarat and gave Telangana a mere Rs 520-crore project, destroying the aspirations of the State.
“The slogan Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas has turned out to be Gujarat Ka Sath Gujarat Ka Vikas. People of Telangana are observing the negligence and discriminatory attitude of the Prime Minister in fulfilling the pending promises and addressing the demands. People will teach a befitting lesson to the BJP at the right time,” KTR said.
“It would have been good had the Prime Minister stated at least one good work that the BJP-led Central government has done for the State.”
All the demands including the Bayyaram steel factory, reopening of the Cement Corporation of India and setting up new national highway projects and new railway lines have been grossly neglected, he said.
Responding to the statements on employment, KTR said that the PM, who suggested selling ‘pakoras’ if one does not get a job, glosses over the State government’s effort to fill 2.2 lakh jobs. He also did not say why he had not taken steps for the filling of 16 lakh jobs in the Central government departments. “The youth of Telangana will not forget the cancellation of the ITIR project which would have potentially created employment for thousands of youngsters,” he said.
KTR said that one should muster the courage to speak incessant lies like the Prime Minister. He demanded that the Prime Minister speak on the promise of doubling farmers’ income. “It is atrocious that the Prime Minister was responsible for the deaths of 700 farmers by bringing ‘black legislations’. He should know that Telangana tops in several indices including production of foodgrains, revolutionary change in irrigation, and welfare schemes for farmers.”
Responding to the allegations of dynasty politics, Rama Rao said that he sought to remind Modi that several BJP leaders including cabinet ministers in Narendra Modi’s cabinet were from political families. “We treat Telangana as a family and people as members of the family, and strive for their comprehensive development.”