VIJAYAWADA: Social welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu has fired salvos on Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao accusing him of discrimination against Andhra students residing in Telangana and said that the latter’s ‘1956 rule with regard to nativity’ is a threat to the federal structure of the nation.
Addressing a press meet here Sunday, the minister asked why the Telangana CM was not coming forward for talks on fee reimbursement with his Andhra counterpart and advised KCR not to politicise every issue.
“Prior to 1956, the population of Hyderabad was about 11 lakh and now it is more than a crore. How can he follow the 1956 rule when almost one crore people were a part of Hyderabad’s development over the last several decades?” he questioned.
He recalled that Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had sent KCR a letter saying that he was ready for bilateral talks, but the Telangana CM did not come forward.
“Chandrababu also made a proposition to pay 58 per cent of the fees for the students, based on the population data. Also, the AP Reorganisation Act clearly states that counselling has to be taken up as it was done in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh, but KCR is politicising the matter, putting the lives of 9.5 lakh students in jeopardy,” he explained.
Taking a swipe at KCR for calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a ‘fascist’, the minister said, “It shows his ignorance. Modi is just implementing the UPA government’s Reorganisation Act, which clearly states that the decision of state matters, which cannot be solved by the government themselves, are at governor’s discretion. How can he find fault with Modi for that?” he asked.
Panchayat raj minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu also took a dig at KCR asking him if was he not aware of the governor’s discretionary power when he and his family went and ‘honoured’ Congress chief Sonia Gandhi after Telangana was announced. “KCR is forgetting that he is now a CM of a state and is still behaving like a problem instigator,” he said.
He also condemned KCR’s rule for nativity and said that it was a threat to democracy. “If 1956 criteria is considered for deciding a person’s nativity then many would lose their identity,” he added.
Health minister Kamineni Srinivas said that BJP will not pay heed to KCR’s comments. “KCR is trying to hog the light by passing illogical remarks on Modi,” he said and added that if KCR tries to create unnecessary controversy, especially with the Central government, he would be digging his own grave.