Telangana not serious about drug menace, conducting select raids: Governor to Centre

A day after her one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister, the Governor met the Union Home Minister in New Delhi on Thursday.
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah reportedly expressed disappointment over the developments in Telangana when Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan submitted a report, stating that the State government has been conducting "select raids" without taking the drugs menace seriously.

A day after her one-on-one meeting with the Prime Minister, the Governor met the Union Home Minister in New Delhi on Thursday.

Later, during an informal chat with reporters in the national capital, the Governor said that she submitted reports on the drugs menace to the PM as well as the HM because she, as a 'mother', felt bad over the use of drugs in the State.

She said that both the Prime Minister and Home Minister were “unhappy” over the state of affairs in Telangana. She reiterated that the State government was “insulting” the Raj Bhavan.

Stating that she considers Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao her 'brother', she recalled that the Chief Minister did not visit Raj Bhavan to console her when her mother passed away a few months ago. She also stated that when she wanted to greet the Chief Minister on his birthday, her phone call went unanswered.

While stating that she was not angry with the government, she said: "Several Chief Ministers like M Karunanidhi, J Jayalalithaa and Mamata Banerjee differed with the Governors but all of them used to invite the Governors for the State functions. They never targeted the Governors."

Referring to her visit to Yadagirigutta, the Governor said that the temple executive officer did not receive her as per the protocol and added that though she had powers to take action against the officer, she never indulges in such practices.

Went to Yadagirigutta as a devotee, not as a BJP person: Tamilisai

The Governor also said that Raj Bhavan was not a ‘political office’ and she did not go to Yadagirigutta along with BJP workers. "Without any evidence how can they (Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy) say that I have visited Yadagirigutta like a BJP person. I didn't go to Yadagirigutta holding a BJP flag," she said.

"I went to Yadagirigutta along with my husband as a simple devotee to offer prayers and not along with the battalion of BJP workers," she said and asked the State government functionaries to respect their "sister".

However, she said that she was least bothered about such things and laughed at those who described her as a BJP person. "I have been meeting leaders of all parties at Raj Bhavan but met the BJP leaders only once or twice. I can disclose all my appointments in the last one or two years. Let them (TRS leaders) give their reasons for calling me a BJP person, I will answer them," she said.

Speaking about the universities, she said that around 60 per cent of posts in the universities were vacant and the State government was intentionally diluting these varsities.

Travel by road or train

The Governor said that she would visit Bhadrachalam temple on April 11 and also revealed her plans to tour the tribal areas. She, however, said that she would go by road or train to the Bhadrachalam temple and recalled how she travelled by road to Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara and also to Nagarkurnool district. "I always travel by road or train in Telangana," she said.

It may be recalled that the State government did not provide a helicopter to the Governor to visit Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara. Wondering why the Governor’s office was being ‘insulted’ and ‘ignored’, she wanted the Chief Minister, Ministers and the Chief Secretary to come to Raj Bhavan to discuss and resolve the issues, if any.

'CM is like a brother'

Stating that she considers CM KCR her 'brother', she said that the CM did not visit Raj Bhavan to console her when her mother passed away

Governor imagining things, says KTR

RAJANNA-SIRCILLA: TRS working president and IT & Industries Minister KT Rama Rao on Thursday clarified that neither they have any differences with Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan nor they have insulted her. Rama Rao said that when there were no answers with the Central government on the issues pertaining to the State, then it would resort to "diversionary tactics".

“We have respect for the Governor as long as she works as a Governor,” he said. Referring to the Governor stating that she did not approve Padi Kaushik Reddy’s candidature as an MLC as he was as a politician, he wondered: “But, can politicians become Governors!” It may be mentioned here that Tamilisai Soundararajan previously served as the president of Tamil Nadu unit of BJP. Rama Rao also said that they “can’t help it if the Governor imagines things and speaks about them”.

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