KCR surprises by raking up Maoists issue

BRS supremo K. Chandrasekhar Rao along with party senior leaders paying homage to the people who lost their lives for a separate Telangana at the party’s Silver Jubilee celebrations at Elkathurthy in Warangal on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

BRS supremo K. Chandrashekhar Rao surprised the huge gathering by demanding that the BJP-led Centre engage in talks with CPI (Maoists) by halting Operation Kagar, which he termed undemocratic.

In a meeting that was supposed to target the Congress, KCR raked up the Maoists issue perhaps with an intention to play to the Leftists who are sympathetic towards the cause. This was unexpected in the meeting where the cadre expected more fire towards the Congress. The very mention of Operation Kagar surprised the BRS leaders present at the meeting.

Perhaps KCR was aiming at BJP and trying to portray it as the main villain against the Maoists and trying to appease the Left-oriented sections that continue to have significance in Telangana, at least sentiment wise.

Another disappointing aspect was the absence of speeches from the top leadership. With key leaders, including party working president K.T. Rama Rao, T. Harish Rao and Kavitha not getting an opportunity to speak from the podium, the public seemed unhappy.

However, former MLA Rasamayi Balakishan’s team’s musical performance, which nostalgically recalled the days of the Telangana agitation, did manage to enthuse some attendees.

Earlier in the event, KCR had appealed to the audience to observe a minute of silence in memory of those killed in the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Former Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao welcomed KCR to address the meeting.