HYDERABAD: Welcoming the High Court’s order directing the State government to celebrate Republic Day on January 26, the two main Opposition parties – Congress and BJP – on Wednesday accused Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of insulting the Constitution by not celebrating the occasion.
In a statement to the media, TPCC senior vice-president Mallu Ravi demanded to know why the State government had in court cited Covid-19 as an excuse for not holding the traditional parade at the Parade Grounds, when such restrictions didn’t apply to the recent BRS public meeting in Khammam.
TPCC senior vice-president G Niranjan urged KCR and Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan to keep aside politics and display respect for each other and set an example for the people. He also urged the chief minister to attend the Republic Day celebrations on Thursday.
BJP on the offensive
Meanwhile, describing the High Court orders as a slap on the face of KCR, BJP leaders launched a no holds barred attack on the chief minister for trying to cite Covid-19 as an excuse for not holding the parade.
Warning the State government against ignoring the court orders, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay said that the celebrations should be held at the Parade Ground on Thursday, failing which the chief minister will be remembered as a ‘traitor of democracy and the Constitution’.
“It’s a clear case of conspiracy to curtail the constitutional responsibilities of the Governor,” Sanjay said. “How can a CM, who has been humiliating and disrespecting the woman holding the highest constitutional post in the State, talk about implementing 35% reservation for women in legislative bodies?” he asked.
Alleging that the chief minister was seeking an atmosphere of conflict, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said that “KCR is developing evil thoughts, so much that he has come to a stage where he wanted to cancel the Republic Day celebrations, which is an insult to Ambedkar, the Constitution, and also the Governor”.
BJP MP K Laxman said that it once again proved that KCR was against Ambedkar and the Constitution.
Former MLC N Ramchander Rao said that the State government’s decision not to hold the Republic Day parade was nothing but insulting the soldiers, police and the youth.
BJP MLA Eatala Rajender demanded the State government to begin the coming Budget session of the Legislature with the address of Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan.