HYDERABAD: Union minister and BJP state president G Kishan Reddy strongly refuted the allegations made against him by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and condemned the remarks accusing him of obstructing central approval for state projects.
Addressing a conference at the state BJP office on Saturday, Kishan accused the CM of making baseless and irresponsible statements to divert public attention from the government’s alleged failure to implement the guarantees promised to the people.
Dismissing allegations regarding project approvals and fund allocations, he asserted that the BJP does not engage in politics for electoral gains or provocation but remains committed to the development of the state and the nation. He criticised the Congress government for failing to implement its six guarantees and 320 sub-guarantees within the promised 100 days, leading to growing dissatisfaction among people.
He highlighted the Congress government’s failure to fulfill major election promises, including: Rs 15,000 assistance under Rythu Bharosa, Rs 15,000 for agricultural labourers, Rs s 15,000 for tenant farmers, Rs 5,000 bonus on select crops, Rs 5 lakh for housing plots, education assurance card and Rs 4,000 pension for senior citizens.
Questioning why these guarantees remain unfulfilled, the Union minister accused the Congress of making false allegations against him instead of focusing on governance. Kishan also condemned the CM’s remarks as politically motivated and defamatory. He asserted that he had been instrumental in securing key projects for Telangana, including one of the seven Textile Parks in the country, Industrial Coach Factory and Regional Ring Road.
He emphasised his commitment to ethical politics and stated he would not remain silent against false accusations.
Regarding the Metro Phase–II project, he criticised the state government for altering the alignment, which increased costs from Rs 234 crore per km to Rs 317 crore per km. He clarified that when the Centre had allocated rs 1,200 crore for Metro expansion up to Falaknuma, the project was stalled under previous state governments. He also alleged that the state government had yet to submit a comprehensive plan for Metro Phase–II, despite approaching the Centre with a revised proposal in January 2024.
Kishan reaffirmed the BJP’s commitment to fair representation for Backward Classes in local bodies. He pointed out that while 50% of the seats of 150 municipal divisions in Hyderabad were reserved for BCs, non-BC candidates had won in 30 of them. He criticised the Congress for remaining silent on the issue and asserted that the BJP would continue to fight for justice based on population proportion.
The minister also reiterated the BJP’s stance on religion-based reservations, stating that if the party comes to power independently in AP, it would revoke the existing Muslim reservations and reallocate them to BCs, SCs and STs.
Union Minister Bandi Sanjay objects SSC pre-final exam timings
HYDERABAD: Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has strongly opposed the state government’s decision to schedule SSC pre-final examinations in the afternoon during the month of Ramzan. In a statement, he criticised the decision to hold the exams from March 6, between 12:15 pm and 3:15 pm, calling it unreasonable.
“This is the time when students, teachers, and others usually have lunch. Conducting exams during these hours will create unnecessary difficulties for students,” he stated. He further questioned the rationale behind the decision, saying, “The government has already exempted Muslims from duties after 4 pm during Ramzan. So, why schedule exams at inconvenient hours, causing hardship for students? Is it fair to disrupt their routine just to appease one section of society?”