Telangana CM slams BRS' KT Rama Rao over threat to remove Rajiv Gandhi's statue

Hyderabad, Aug 20 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy lashed out at Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President, KT Rama Rao for threatening to remove the statue of former Prime Minister, late Rajiv Gandhi which is set to be unveiled in front of the state Secretariat.CM Revanth Reddy dared the BRS leaders to touch the statue of Rajiv Gandhi and warned that if they continue to speak such language, Telangana would be forced to socially boycott them.

CM Reddy was speaking after garlanding the statue of Rajiv Gandhi at Punjagutta in the city on the occasion of his birth anniversary.

CM Reddy said that BRS leaders had lost power but their arrogance had not gone and claimed that the BRS would never come back to power.Defending the installation of Rajiv Gandhi’s statue in front of the state Secretariat, he announced that in the next 15-20 days the statue would be unveiled at a grand event.

KT Rama Rao had said on Monday that Rajiv Gandhi's statue would be removed by BRS after returning to power and he had claimed that the land where Rajiv Gandhi's statue was installed was earmarked by the previous BRS government for Telangana Talli’s statue.CM Reddy, however, claimed that Rama Rao wants to install his father KCR's statue."The place next to Telangana Martyrs' Memorial is suitable for the statue of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi who sacrificed his life for the country," he said.In a bitter attack on KCR, CM Reddy remarked that such a place should not have the statue of those who looted Telangana in the name of the statehood movement.

He remarked that there was no place in front of the secretariat for 'drunkards' and 'thieves'.

CM Reddy also questioned BRS leaders why they never thought of installing Telangana Talli’s statue for ten years.He announced that Telangana Talli’s statue would be unveiled in the state Secretariat on December 9, which is the birthday of Sonia Gandhi, who formed Telangana state.

Terming Rajiv Gandhi as inspiration for the youth, CM Reddy said the former PM introduced information technology in the country in the 1980s to help India compete with the world.

He recalled that late leader Rajiv Gandhi strengthened the local body institutions through 73rd and 74th Constitutional amendments.

CM Reddy said that Rajiv Gandhi politically empowered women by providing reservation in the local bodies.Deputy Chief Minister, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, slammed KT Rama Rao over his criticism of the government for installing the statue of the late leader.He said that KT Rama Rao was forgetting history and asserted that Hyderabad achieved tremendous progress in the information technology sector due to the initiative taken by Rajiv Gandhi.

He stated that it was on the suggestion of Rajiv Gandhi that then Congress Chief Minister Janardhan Reddy of Andhra Pradesh laid the foundation stone for HITEC City.

The chief ministers who came after Janardhan Reddy continued the work to develop the sector.

Vikramarka said Hyderabad and its surroundings have developed because of the foundation laid by the previous Congress governments.AICC incharge Deepa Dasmunshi, senior leader and former MP V Hanumantha Rao, Greater Hyderabad Mayor Gadwal Vijayalaxmi, MLC Amer Ali Khan and other leaders were present.