HYDERABAD: Reminding that the Election Commission and the election machinery had a responsibility to ensure that no eligible voter was excluded from the electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud on Monday questioned the BJP’s commitment to democracy when concerns over voter deletions remained unanswered.
Reacting to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit to Hyderabad, Mahesh Goud said it was ironic that the BJP, which had been in power at the Centre for 12 years, was organising a ‘Save Democracy’ campaign without addressing concerns over alleged irregularities in electoral rolls. He said the right to vote was the foundation of democracy and the Election Commission must ensure that eligible voters were not deprived of this right during the SIR exercise.
“If the BJP genuinely believes in democracy, it should respond to the questions raised by the Congress instead of attacking the party for questioning electoral irregularities,” he said, alleging that the BJP had failed to address concerns over alleged vote theft and deletion of eligible voters.
The TPCC chief said Shah should have explained what the Centre had done for Telangana before holding a public meeting in Hyderabad. He said people were not interested in what he termed hollow speeches but wanted answers on their rights, funds, development, employment and farmers’ welfare.
Raising a series of questions on the assurances made at the time of Telangana’s formation, Mahesh Goud sought to know how many of the commitments had been fulfilled, how much of the funds due to the state had been released and what had happened to the proposed Kazipet railway coach factory and Bayyaram steel plant. He also sought clarity on granting national project status to the state’s irrigation projects and Telangana’s rightful share of central taxes and grants.
Alleging that the Modi government was discriminating against Telangana by withholding funds, he demanded a white paper on the Centre’s contributions to the state. He also dismissed the BJP’s allegations of ‘RR Tax’, saying such accusations would not work politically in Telangana.
Mahesh Goud further alleged that the BJP was attempting to occupy the political space left by the weakening BRS and that people suspected an understanding between the two parties. He said the BJP would struggle to retain even its existing eight Lok Sabha seats in the next general election. He also criticised the previous BRS government for leaving the state with a debt burden and allowing family-centric politics to continue.
Meanwhile, Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar accused Shah of using his Hyderabad visit primarily to attack the Congress instead of addressing issues concerning Telangana, including pending bifurcation assurances, the state’s share of central taxes and assistance to tackle drought conditions.
On the SIR exercise, Prabhakar said the Congress was not opposed to removing ineligible names from electoral rolls but would not accept the deletion of eligible voters, particularly those belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Backward Classes and minority communities. He challenged Shah to disclose how many foreign nationals had been identified and removed from voter lists and how many had actually been deported.
Alleging that forms for voter deletions were being distributed from RSS and BJP offices, he sought a parliamentary discussion on the SIR process and urged the Centre to convene Parliament to debate the issue.
Prabhakar also challenged the BJP to an open debate on its promises, including monthly pensions for farmers, free electricity, `15 lakh for every household, a 30% reduction in prices and petrol at `50 a litre. “Let us discuss our six guarantees and your promises one by one. Is your state leadership ready for an open debate?” he asked.
Questioning the Centre over the taxes collected from Telangana and funds returned to it, he said the state needed assistance to deal with drought conditions attributed to the impact of El Nino. He also questioned why the BJP’s campaign to protect democracy was not being held across the country, even as the Congress was taking up the issue under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.
‘Shah should have explained what the Centre did for TG’
The TPCC chief said Shah should have explained what the Centre had done for Telangana before holding a public meeting in Hyderabad. He said people were not interested in what he termed hollow speeches but wanted answers on their rights, funds, development, employment and farmers’ welfare. Alleging that the Modi government was discriminating against Telangana by withholding funds, he demanded a white paper on the Centre’s contributions to the state. He also dismissed the BJP’s allegations of ‘RR Tax’, saying such accusations would not work politically in Telangana
