BRS leader and former MP B.Vinod Kumar showing an old video of his speech in Parliament in 2014, during a press conference in Hyderabad on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Arrangement
hyderabad
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has ridiculed the comments of Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy on the transfer of seven mandals along with Lower Sileru hydel project to Andhra Pradesh from Telangana within a month after the State formation, stating it was BRS (then TRS) that had opposed the move while the Congress had kept mum.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, senior leader of BRS and former MP B.Vinod Kumar said the Centre had promulgated an ordinance on May 29, 2014, after the election results were declared and the Assemblies of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana against the spirit of the Constitution. It was sheer ignorance of Mr.Jeevan Reddy that he was blaming the BRS of being silent then.
Playing videos of his speech in Parliament opposing the amendment to AP Reorganisation Act changing the boundaries of the bifurcated States, Mr.Vinod Kumar said it was the BRS that opposed the Bill vehemently and only the Trinamool Congress had supported it. He pointed out that the Congress had majority in Rajya Sabha but it did not oppose the Bill, remained silent and, in collusion with the BJP, supported the amendment.
He mentioned that the BJP government at the Centre had promulgated the ordinance as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N.Chandrababu Naidu had vowed that he would take oath as Chief Minister after the seven mandals were transferred to A.P. The then Union Minister M.Venakaih Naidu was also behind the amendment Bill as the TDP was an ally of BJP.
After the amendment Bill changing the boundaries of A.P. and Telangana was passed by Parliament in July, the BRS had called for a statewide bandh the next day to protest the Centre’s move taken forward bypassing the Assemblies of AP and Telangana, which was necessary as per Article 3 of the Constitution, Mr. Vinod Kumar said. Further, he stated that present Telangana Chief Minister A.Revanth Reddy was an MLA of TDP then and his boss was Mr. Chandrababu Naidu.
He alleged the Congress was part of the injustices heaped on Telangana throughout and that the BRS owes its existence only to the cause of Telangana and it would keep fighting for Telangana people and their interests whether in power or not. He also accused the BJP of not doing anything for Telangana during the last 10 years although it had four MPs.
The Centre did not give national project status to Kaleshwaram first and later to Palamuru-Rangareddy project. It did not sanction to Telangana even one out of 157 medical colleges announced across the country.
