Where was democracy when KCR poached Congress MLAs, asks Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad, July  (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Tuesday asked Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President K. Chandrasekhar Rao why he did not remember democracy when he made Congress MLAs defect to his party when he was Chief Minister.

Asserting that KCR, as Rao is popularly known, and BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao are making baseless comments, the Chief Minister said that Congress has not deceived people or murdered democracy as the BRS leaders did.

Addressing a meeting of Congress workers in Mahabubnagar, Revanth Reddy asked KCR how many Congress MLAs he poached during the last 10 years.

"Didn’t KCR say that the Congress government will topple in 100 days," he said, hitting back at KCR and KTR, who earlier targeted the Congress for making seven BRS MLAs and six MLCs defect to the ruling party.

Revanth Reddy remarked that the former Chief Minister had no political future and predicted that he would face dire consequences in the coming days. He said KCR should either contribute to the state’s development or sit in the farmhouse.

The Chief Minister claimed that KTR and Harish Rao have been roaming around Delhi for the last four days to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He also hit out at those demanding the postponement of the District Selection Committee (DSC) exam for the recruitment of teachers. Stating that his government issued a notification to fill 11,000 posts, he said some vested interests were trying to postpone the exam. He alleged that the mafia of coaching centres was conspiring to get the exams postponed but made it clear that his government is committed to providing jobs to the youth.

He also alleged that KCR instigated youth whenever his party weakened. The BRS leaders are trying to gain political benefits at the cost of students' lives, he said.

Revanth Reddy asked why should only poor students and poor student leaders sit on fast and challenged KTR and Harish Rao to sit on fast unto death for the postponement of the exams.

"They should continue the fast at Arts College till the exams are postponed. It is not good to provoke the students. If the BRS leaders’ argument is correct, the leaders should sit on fast on behalf of youth," he said.

The Chief Minister stated that there is no loss to the government if the exams are postponed but its main intention is to see that the unemployed youth do not suffer.

Revanth Reddy also alleged that there is a conspiracy by the opposition behind the demand to conduct Group-I main exams by allowing 100 candidates for one post. He said if the government makes changes in the notification, the matter will go to court and the exam will be postponed.

Stating that elections for local bodies will be held soon, Revanth Reddy asked party workers to work hard.