Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy said it was time for Chief Minister, K. Chandrasekhar Rao to realise that his time was over and leave politics respectfully rather than clinging on to his chair using all undemocratic means.
Speaking at the Telangana Formation Day celebrations in New York, organised by the Telangana chapter of the Indian Overseas Congress, he said KCR had destroyed all values and beliefs that Telangana was rooted in using his position and also suppressed the very modes of protest through which Telangana was formed.
He said every voice that raised questions against the government was crushed using force and people live as if they don’t have the democratic rights to oppose government policies. “The NRIs should seriously think about these unfortunate developments in Telangana. This is not the time to keep quiet despite knowing how the government is being run,” he said. “Is this the Telangana we all wanted,” he asked.
The Malkajgiri MP alleged that the only aim of KCR was to anoint his son K.T. Rama Rao as head of the next government and perhaps pass it on to his grandson as well. This attitude of the Nizam was opposed by the people of Telangana and they will defeat any such thinking, he said recalling various democratic movements in Telangana.
NRI policy
Mr. Reddy said NRIs had several issues and concerns and there was a need for a separate NRI Ministry in Telangana given the huge numbers across the world and their connection with the motherland. “We will impress upon Rahul Gandhi to create NRI ministry when the Congress comes to power in Telangana and also in Haryana,” he said requesting Parliament member from Haryana Deependra Hooda, who was also present at the meeting, to take up the issue.
Mr. Deependra Hooda recalled how the Congress MPs in Lok Sabha fought for the separate state and how the party had respected the democratic demand of the people of Telangana. TPCC vice president Chamala Kiran Reddy also spoke. A large number of NRIs were present on the occasion.
