HYDERABAD: In a renewed offensive against the BRS and BJP, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday challenged Union minister G Kishan Reddy to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to direct the CBI to register a case against former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao concerning alleged irregularities in the execution of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme.
Campaigning vigorously in Shaikpet and Yousufguda for Congress candidate V Naveen Yadav, the chief minister mocked Kishan Reddy, stating that instead of challenging him to a debate, the Union minister should take the issue to the prime minister and home minister before the November 11 Jubilee Hills byelection.
“If you have the courage, go and persuade PM Modi to direct the CBI to register a case against KCR,” he reiterated.
The campaign event saw the chief minister flanked by AIMIM MLA Kausar Mohiuddin, TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud, ministers N Uttam Kumar Reddy, Mohammad Azharuddin, Ponnam Prabhakar and G Vivek, and several other Congress leaders.
‘A blatant lie’
Responding to a challenge from BRS working president KT Rama Rao regarding the alleged non-release of Rs 4,000 crore for the Secunderabad Cantonment constituency, the chief minister dismissed the claim as a blatant lie.
“If you (KTR) are serious about your challenge, then get ready to resign. Cantonment Congress MLA Sri Ganesh has already shown Government Order copies sanctioning over Rs 4,000 crore,” he stated.
Turning his fire back on Kishan Reddy, the chief minister accused the Secunderabad MP of failing Telangana. “Kishan Reddy, elected as Secunderabad MP and made a Union minister, is only doing injustice to Telangana,” he charged, blaming him for the Centre’s stalling of the Metro Rail’s next phase, the Musi Riverfront Development Project, the Regional Ring Road and Radial Roads.
Mocking the BJP’s electoral prospects, he said, “If you (BJP) manage to save your security deposit, it is as good as winning this election.”
Addressing Kishan Reddy’s reported opposition to Azharuddin’s induction into the state Cabinet, he defended the move, asserting: “Inducting a Muslim into the Cabinet is about granting their rightful share in political power, as guaranteed by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. We didn’t ask for a piece of land from Modi in Gujarat or your ancestral property. I only want Muslims to receive their rightful share in political power.”
He framed the Jubilee Hills byelection as a contest between two distinct groups: one comprising Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy and Asaduddin Owaisi, and the other featuring Modi, Kishan Reddy and KCR.
“As the constituents of Jubilee Hills would not vote for the BJP, they are seeking votes under the ‘car’ symbol. Remember, the car starts from Shaikpet and transforms into a lotus after reaching Delhi,” he quipped.
Benefits for JH residents
Highlighting his government’s welfare initiatives, the CM noted that 2.39 lakh people in Jubilee Hills receive subsidised rice and 14,259 new ration cards have been sanctioned, benefiting over 61,000 individuals. He also promised that 4,000 Indiramma houses would be sanctioned soon.
For the Telugu Film Industry (TFI) workforce, he pledged to implement a scheme for life and health insurance. He contrasted his proactive approach with Rama Rao’s, whom he accused of being confined to parties with film personalities. He also reiterated his government’s commitment to building a school for the children of TFI workers at the earliest.