HYDERABAD: Responding to the criticism of BRS leaders that the then Congress-led UPA government’s delay in forming Telangana led to hundreds of deaths during the final phase of the Statehood movement, senior leader and former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the then Central government cannot be blamed for the unfortunate suicides.
“Creating or dividing a State is not a child’s play. It cannot be done just like that. A State is created after a movement like the original Andhra Pradesh was created. A State is divided in response to a people’s movement. If some lives were lost, we are sorry for that. But, what about 4,000 odd suicides in Telangana under Mr KCR’s government? Who is responsible for those suicides? A suicide is an unfortunate incident. But, you can’t hold the Central government responsible for that.”
Responding to KCR’s claims of achieving Telangana, he asserted that it was a people’s movement. “I hope KCR is not saying people have nothing to do with the movement and he got Telangana. I hope he is not saying that. If he is saying that, the people will answer him in the upcoming elections. It’s a very unfortunate statement,” Chidambaram said.
The former Union minister also claimed that the BRS government’s decade-long tenure witnessed a profound failure in managing inflation and fostering employment opportunities, resulting in a substantial burden on the populace. He highlighted the alleged adverse impact of “rampant unemployment” on the youth of Telangana, contending that it has stifled their aspirations.
“Every State will develop, even under an incompetent government, but the government’s duty is to maintain price stability, control inflation and generate employment. BRS government completely failed in controlling inflation and creating jobs,” he said.
Highlighting that there is a substantial escalation in prices of essential commodities such as milk and oil, Chidambaram pointed out that Telangana State exhibited the highest inflation rate nationwide, citing figures indicating an inflation rate of 8.7 per cent between July and December 2022 and a persistent two per cent excess over the national average in July 2023.
He also drew attention to the soaring fuel prices in Telangana, labelling them the highest in the country. Chidambaram expressed concern over the economic burden faced by every family in Telangana, attributing it to the government’s failure to curb inflation effectively.
He said that unemployment has emerged as another pressing issue, with urban unemployment rates for males and females standing at 7.1 per cent and 9.6 per cent, surpassing the national averages of 4.7 per cent and 7.5 per cent.