In the Parliament, Rahul Gandhi along with other INDIA bloc MPs protested against the BJP government by wearing jackets that read, "Modi Adani ek hai, Adani safe hai."
Published Dec 09, 2024 | 2:29 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 09, 2024 | 2:29 PM
BRS leaders protest at Telangana Assembly. (X)
Following INDIA bloc MPs’ protests, including LoP Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, in Parliament against industrialist Gautam Adani, BRS MLAs reached the Telangana Assembly on Monday, 9 December, wearing T-shirts with slogans of “Adani Revanth Bhai Bhai,” in protest against the Congress government in the state.
The BRS leaders, before reaching the Assembly, paid their tributes to the martyrs of the Telangana statehood movement at the Gun Park, as 9 December also marks the day, when the Union government announced the creation of a separate Telangana state in 2009.
However, the leaders were stopped at the entrance and detained by the police. Leaders including KTR, S Madhusudhana Chari, T Harish Rao, and K Kavitha were shifted to a nearby police station.
While being stopped, the BRS MLAs were seen questioning, why they were being stopped when Rahul Gandhi was allowed into the parliament, wearing a similar T-shirt. Koratla BRS MLA Kalvakuntla Sanjay asked, “If Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi can do it in the parliament, why are we being arrested for a similar expression of our voice.”
Speaking to the media, KTR said, “The hypocrisy and double standards of the Congress needs to be exposed, on one hand, Rahul Gandhi wears a T-shirt saying Adani and Pradhani are one and the same, but the fact is today Adani and Revanth Reddy are best friends.”
The leaders were further heard shouting slogans like “Delhi lo Kusthi, Gully lo Dosti”, which translates to “Fight in Delhi, friendship in gully (Telangana)”, “Telangana Thalli muddura, Congress Thalli vaddura,” and “Nahi chalega—Thanashahi nahi chalega.”
In the Parliament, Rahul Gandhi along with other INDIA bloc MPs had protested against the BJP government by wearing T-shirts that read, “Modi Adani ek hai, Adani safe hai”, last week.
BRS MLA T Harish Rao speaking to the media claimed, “In Delhi, Congress leaders say that ‘Adani chor hai’ but the local Congress says that Adani is our dear friend. In Delhi, LoP Rahul Gandhi holds a protest over the Adani issue in the Parliament why can’t we protest in the Assembly…Why are they (Telangana government) stopping us? Revanth Reddy enjoys good relations with Adani. He is scared, that’s why he is stopping us.”
#Telangana: @BRSParty leaders, including @KTRBRS and @BRSHarish, were stopped from entering the Legislative Assembly on Day 1 of the Winter Session for wearing T-shirts saying “Adani Revanth Bhai Bhai.” numerous leaders were also detained outside the Assembly.
“If @RahulGandhi… pic.twitter.com/2UEl87Qhbg
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) December 9, 2024
In October, Adani during a meeting with the chief minister pledged a donation of ₹100 crore for the Skill University. While the government received criticism for the same back then, it was only after news broke out of the indictment of Adani in the US court for paying bribes to Indian officials for solar energy projects, that the Revanth government decided to reject the donation.
In a letter, Jayesh Ranjan, Special Chief Secretary and Government Commissioner for Industrial Promotion, informed Dr. Priti Adani, Chairperson of the Adani Foundation, of the state’s decision. The letter thanked the foundation for its commitment to fund the university but clarified that the Telangana government would not be seeking the transfer of funds at this time.
“We are grateful for your commitment of ₹100 crore to the Young India Skills University. However, we have not yet requested any donors to transfer funds, as the university has only recently received IT exemption under Section 80G,” Ranjan wrote. “In light of the current circumstances and the ongoing controversies, I have been directed by the Chief Minister not to pursue the transfer of funds at this moment.”
The opposition BRS has been opposing the unveiling of the Telangana Thalli statue by the Congress government, on the Secretariat premises on 9 December.
The controversy erupted after the government unveiled the statue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi opposite the Secretariat. The BRS wanted the statue of Telangana Thalli to be located there — since it was conceptualised and installed at Telangana Bhavan — instead of the statue of the late Congress leader.
Further, the BRS contended that the Telangana Thalli represents a prosperous Telangana. “Is Revanth Reddy installing the Telangana Thalli statue or the Congress Thalli statue? Telangana Thalli as visualized by the BRS was the one that reflects the Telangana culture,” KTR said.
But Revanth Reddy, after coming to power, wanted the Telangana Thalli statue to look like an ordinary Telangana woman who lives in a village. He wanted the statue to symbolise the fighting spirit of Telangana women against oppression.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Raj Rayasam)
