HYDERABAD: Cutting across the party lines, several political leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy as well as governors of a few states attended Alai Balai, the annual cultural event organised to promote amity among people by Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya’s daughter Vijaya Lakshmi, here on Sunday.
But BJP MP Eatala Rajender and Congress leader and Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar preferred to turn into a political platform to take a dig at each other over the kind of language being used in the contemporary mainstream politics.
While Rajender, in his speech, said that it is high time to change the language being used in the political discourse as the people have started denouncing it, Prabhakar retorted, stating that the practice of bringing religion into politics also falls under the same category that the former mentioned. He also suggested that those bringing religion into politics should be restrained.
CM lauds Dattatreya
Commending Governor Bandaru Dattatreya for launching the programme 19 years ago, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy said that he is making efforts to revive the culture and traditions, which he said were on the verge of extinction.
Stating that Bandaru Dattatreya is synonymous with Alai Balai, he said that the formation of the political joint action committee during the Telangana movement was inspired by this programme.
He also thanked Vijaya Lakshmi for continuing Dattatreya’s legacy.
“I have already told the government and the Congress leaders to participate in Alai Balai and take responsibility to preserve Telangana culture. Leaders gave a message that ‘we are all one’ by attending Alai Balai,” the CM said.
Former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu said that the significance of festivals is not just offering pujas but remaining united and stressed on the importance of integration.
Several artistes, including the exponents of Oggu Dolu, Dappu, Solatam and Gussadi performed during the programme.
Telangana delicacies, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian varieties, were served to all the attendees.
Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar and TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud were among those who attended the event.