HYDERABAD: Alleging that Gaddar and his Naxalite associates were responsible for the deaths of “hundreds” of BJP workers, as well as Congress and TDP leaders, Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay on Monday advised the state government not to recommend the late balladeer for Padma awards.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP state office here, Sanjay criticised the Congress government in the state for the inclusion of Gaddar’s name in the list for Padma awards. “Hundreds of BJP workers were killed in the state by Naxalites. People now understand who benefited from the Telangana movement and who were its victims,” he claimed, urging the state government to consider such recommendations carefully.
Sanjay also criticised the state government for changing the names of central welfare schemes, claiming that this was done to undermine the Union government’s contributions. Referring to initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Garib Kalyan Yojana, he stated that the Centre would ensure these schemes directly benefit people if the state government continues to change their names.
He questioned why the state government did not include the photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in welfare programmes funded by the Centre, asserting that the schemes aim to support the poor. Sanjay insisted that he has no objection to the state naming schemes funded by it even after people like Osama bin Laden and Dawood Ibrahim.
Sanjay accused the ruling Congress of insincerity in implementing its six guarantees and questioned the selective implementation of welfare schemes in some villages. “What is the point of selecting and benefiting four schemes in one village in the mandal? Didn’t the people of the remaining villages vote for the Congress? Is the money coming from the pockets of Congress leaders or are they bringing funds from Pakistan and Bangladesh?” he asked.
He also claimed that the erstwhile BRS regime led by K Chandrasekhar Rao failed to construct 2BHK houses under the PM Awas Yojana though the Centre sanctioned 2.4 lakh housing units.