NIZAMABAD : It Minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Saturday said that if the BJP national leadership was ready for early Lok Sabha elections, Telangana too would be ready to face early Assembly elections. Addressing the media at the BRS office after participating in various programmes here, Rama Rao said that the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre had “a last chance” to fulfil the promises made its AP Reorganisation Act to Telangana by allocating funds in the 2023-24 annual Budget to be presented on February 1.
Accusing the Union government of not giving a single additional rupee to Telangana, Rama Rao said that in the last eight years, the Centre received Rs 3.58 lakh crore from the State in the form of taxes. “But they (Centre) have given only Rs 1.68 lakh crore to Telangana. If BJP leaders prove me wrong, I am ready to quit my post,’’ he said.
“The failures of the Centre are being exposed at the global level. Inflation is skyrocketing and the value of the rupee is falling day by day. While the combined loan the country had taken from various financial organisations under the regimes of 14 Prime Ministers was Rs 54 lakh crore, under Narendra Modi, India has ended up with a debt burden of over Rs 100 lakh crore,” Rama Rao said.
He said that the government at the Centre has earned Rs 30 lakh crore from the people by increasing petrol prices. “But there is no commensurate spending on welfare or development. It’s no denying that the loans taken by the State also increased, but the government has invested the money for productive purposes in different sectors such as irrigation, drinking water supply and power sectors,’’ Rama Rao claimed.
He said that in spite of all this, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay describes Modi as “god” and claims that he stopped the Russia-Ukraine war. “Why then has “god” failed to resolve the ongoing border dispute between Maharashtra and Karnataka? Why has he chosen to remain a mute spectator while the two States are fighting?” Rama Rao questioned.
He advised the local BJP MP and leaders to act in an appropriate manner and ensure that the Union government allocates additional funds for Telangana in the Budget. Rama Rao said that till now, the BJP MPs in the State did not get anything for the State from the Centre.
“They failed to keep their promise to have a Turmeric Board established in the district,” he alleged.
In an oblique reference to Nizamabad BJP MP Dharmapuri Arvind, Rama Rao asked him to desist from using foul language against BRS leaders and warned of a like response if the MP continued to use filthy language. “We have respect for a senior political leader like his father D Srinivas. But there should be a limit to his son’s behaviour,’’ Rama Rao said.