BRS flays Sitharaman’s comments against Telangana, asks her to focus on promises made

BRS leader B. Vinod Kumar speaking to the press in Hyderabad on Friday.
| Photo Credit: By Arrangement

HYDERABAD

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has criticised Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman for “speaking irresponsibly on the status of Telangana and the bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh and belittling the enviable progress” made by Telangana in 10 years of BRS rule.

Talking to the media here on Friday, senior leaders of the party B. Vinod Kumar and Satyavathi Rathod said that neither the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Government at the Centre nor Ms. Sitharaman had anything to do with the formation of Telangana as it was achieved through a prolonged struggle by the people led by the pink flag (BRS).

They reminded Ms. Sitharaman that Telangana (Hyderabad State) was built with surplus budget even when it was merged forcibly with Andhra to form AP. Even after getting separated from combined AP, Telangana had not gone into the debt trap as the Union Minister tried to portray.

The BRS leaders explained that the previous BRS Government had borrowed money to create assets and wealth – constructed irrigation projects including Kaleshwaram, new integrated district collectorate complexes, command control centre, new Secretariat, and government medical college in every district.

It was due to the reservoirs and canals constructed and minor irrigation tanks filled with Kaleshwaram water that groundwater table had improved, thereby increasing irrigation facilities.

Demanding that Ms. Sitharaman withdraw her comments made against Telangana, the BRS leaders suggested her to focus on fulfilling the promises to Telangana under the Bifurcation Act. They alleged that both the Congress and BJP were bent upon defaming Telangana with their false propaganda.