HYDERABAD: Dismissing speculation of a possible tie-up to take on the ruling Congress in the state, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao on Sunday ruled out any alliance with the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).
Speaking after two former BRS corporators joined the BJP at the party’s state office in Hyderabad in the presence of Chevella MP Konda Vishweswar Reddy, Ramchander Rao said there was “no question” of the BJP entering into an alliance with the BRS under any circumstances. He urged people not to believe what he termed as propaganda about a BJP-BRS understanding.
He said the people of Telangana had already given opportunities to both the BRS and the Congress to govern the state and expressed confidence that the BJP would be given a chance in the coming elections.
The BJP leader also alleged that both the BRS, which ruled the state earlier, and the Congress, which is currently in power, were working “hand in glove” with the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and were handing over Telangana and Hyderabad to the party.
Commenting on tensions in West Asia, Ramchander Rao accused the Congress of spreading misinformation and creating unnecessary panic among the public. Criticising senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said the latter did not understand what he was talking about.
The state BJP chief also asserted that current conflict would not lead to an oil shortage in India as the country has adequate crude reserves and procurement arrangements.
Ramchander asserted that before 2014, India imported crude oil from around 16 countries, but after the BJP came to power in the Centre under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government expanded its sourcing network to nearly 47 countries, including Russia, anticipating possible global disruptions.
Ramchander Rao also recalled that in 2005, the United Progressive Alliance government led by former prime minister Manmohan Singh had voted against Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency, after which Iran halted crude oil supplies to India. He alleged that the same Congress leaders were now speaking in support of Iran.
Bandi hopes techies turn to farming
Medak: Minister of State (MoS) for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday expressed optimism that software professionals may one day diversify into agriculture and take up farming as a vocation. Speaking at the Dr Ramanaidu Ekalavya Rural Development Foundation and Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Tuniki, the MoS lauded the organisation for training farmers to become self-reliant. He praised its efforts to equip farmers with marketing and sales skills to secure better returns for their produce. He reiterated that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government is committed to empowering farmers and enabling them to prosper through comprehensive development programmes. During his visit, the MoS inaugurated a farmers’ accommodation facility and a ‘Farmers’ Value Addition & Food Processing Laboratory’ established under the aegis of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The MoS attributed many contemporary health issues to the neglect of traditional lifestyles and the excessive use of chemicals in agriculture, calling for a shift towards organic and chemical-free farming.