‘KCR is like demonetised ₹1,000 note’: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy on BRS chief’s ‘utility’

The chief minister said: “KCR and BRS are like such invalid ₹1,000 notes. They have outlived their utility.”

He added that had the former chief minister spent at least ₹100 crore — from the ₹1,500 crore that the regional party collected from people — on farmers, KCR would have by now “atoned for at least a few of his sins”.

‘KCR is like demonetised ₹1,000 note’: #Telangana CM @revanth_anumula on @BRSparty chief’s ‘utility’

“If anyone carries the invalid note in his pocket, he will go to jail," #RevanthReddy lashed out at K Chandrashekhar Rao.https://t.co/fHDrpga6Aj pic.twitter.com/2WrvNc4Y5v

— South First (@TheSouthfirst) April 2, 2024

Related: Congress hits back a day after KCR outburst

‘KCR destroyed agri sector’

Revanth Reddy delivered power-packed punches at KCR throughout the press conference, including making light of his claims of erudition.

“Doesn’t KCR, who claims to have read 80,000 books, know that Congress took over the reins in December, after the onset of winter? Then, how could he say we were responsible for the failure of monsoons when he was in power?” he asked.

He also dressed down KCR for describing the drought as a Congress making and not the result of nature’s fury.

“It was KCR who destroyed the agriculture sector. Like a cat that went on a pilgrimage to Mecca after killing 100 mice, KCR is now showing concern for farmers,” said Revanth Reddy.

Revanth Reddy said the monsoon failed last year because of KCR’s countless sins, adding: “In fact, he is an embodiment of sins (Papala Bhairavudu).”

He also pointed out that it was because of his past sinful record that Telangana was suffering now. “You cannot blame the Congress government for the lack of rains during your reign,” he said.

Related: In interaction with farmers, KCR shows that game is not over yet

‘He should be thankful to us’

Revanth Reddy said the former chief minister should appreciate the Congress government’s gesture to allow him to visit the farmers, which was in stark contrast to when the BRS was in power.

“In those days, it used to house-arrest Congress leaders whenever they called for any protest,” he said.

The chief minister said Congress, which believed in democracy and free spirit, not only allowed KCR to visit districts but also provided him with enough security so his programmes would go without any hitch.

“He should have been thankful to us, but instead he is making baseless allegations against us,” he said.

Revanth Reddy said if KCR had not lost the Assembly elections, he would not have stirred out of his farmhouse.

“Had he not lost the election, had he not fractured his hip, and had his daughter not gone to jail (in the Delhi liquor policy scam case), he would have been out of bounds for anyone by now,” he claimed.

The chief Minister disputed KCR’s claim that the Congress government had not been crediting Rythu Bandhu money to farmers.

“Our government has credited Rythu Bandhu money to the accounts of 64,75,581 farmers. Only 4 lakh farmers’ accounts need to be credited with money,” he said.

Revanth Reddy also dared KCR to prove his statistics wrong, adding that if the former chief minister managed to do it, he was ready to face any punishment.

If KCR failed, however, would he be ready to “prostrate before the farmers and seek their forgiveness?” he asked.

He said that as soon as the Model Code of Conduct — in force now in view of the Lok Sabha elections — was lifted, the Rythu Bandhu money would be credited to the remaining farmers.

Related: KCR demands ₹25,000 per acre for Telangana farmers who incurred crop loss

‘Elections smoked him out’

Revanth Reddy also said that he welcomed KCR stepping out of his farmhouse and visiting farmers.

“Let him go and meet farmers. If he has any suggestions that could benefit farmers, the government will consider them. But, KCR has come out of his farmhouse because the Lok Sabha polls are around the corner. The elections smoked out the mouse that is KCR from its hole,” he said.

Taking a serious exception to the KCR’s claim that 200 farmers died by suicide in the last 100 days, Revanth Reddy dared him to furnish the details. “I will invite their kin to the secretariat and provide support to them,” he said.

Revanth Reddy alleged that said that KCR was always on the same page as BJP.

“KT Rama Rao has been saying that Congress will not get more than 40 seats in the Lok Sabha elections, which implies that he wants BJP to win 400 seats. It is very clear on whose side he or KCR is,” he said.

(Edited by Arkadev Ghoshal)