HYDERABAD: BRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday slammed Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar over the latter’s alleged letter to Foxconn Group chairman Young Liu urging the relocation of their Hyderabad unit to Bengaluru.
Meanwhile, Shivakumar took to X, to deny the existence of any such letter to Foxconn and condemned the allegations. Speaking at a lawyers’ meeting, Rama Rao claimed that the Congress would shift industries away from Telangana to Karnataka if it were to get elected to power in the state.
Additionally, he accused the Congress of actively disrupting Telangana’s development and establishing a new political stronghold in Bengaluru, much like in New Delhi.
He further alleged that crores were being channelled to Telangana in an attempt to sway multinational companies into relocating to the Karnataka state capital from Hyderabad.
Rama Rao read out the letter allegedly written by Shivakumar to Foxconn, in which the latter attempted to persuade the company to move its manufacturing unit from Telangana to Karnataka.
The letter reportedly stated, “On behalf of the Karnataka government, I propose that you consider relocating the Apple Airpods industry, which you planned to set up in Hyderabad, to Bengaluru. This move holds numerous mutual benefits. Not only will it complement the Apple iPhone manufacturing industry, but it will also leverage the city’s transportation facilities and available workforce. Furthermore, several international industries in Hyderabad have expressed interest in relocating to Bengaluru. We anticipate forming a friendly government in Telangana soon, assuring that you will encounter no hindrances there. Hence, it would be mutually beneficial for your ancillary industry to make this move as well.”
He highlighted how the Telangana government had held multiple meetings with Foxconn, which eventually led to the company agreeing to establish its unit in Telangana. He added that the company had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Telangana government in 2022, which would create employment opportunities for 1 lakh people in the region.
Rama Rao said that Shivakumar, during his campaign visit in Telangana, suggested that the Congress in Karnataka was providing five hours of electricity to the agricultural sector, causing fear among farmers that the Congress would implement the same if they came to power in Telangana.
He emphasised that none of the Congress or BJP leaders in Telangana displayed independent decision-making and instead operated under the leadership of Rahul Gandhi and PM Modi. He urged the public not to trust these leaders.