KTR also predicted a win for the BRS in the upcoming Telangana Assembly election, and a third term for Chief Minister KCR.
Published Aug 12, 2023 | 8:26 PM ⚊ Updated Aug 12, 2023 | 8:26 PM
KTR at an event in Pochampally Muncipality, where he also the foundation stone for a Pochampally Handloom Park.
IT and Textiles Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday, August 12, predicted — yet again — that after the Lok Sabha elections next year, no one could become prime minister without the support of the BRS.
“We are going to see a coalition government at the Centre. No one could become the prime minister without the support of the BRS. In Telangana, too, BRS will win the Assembly election later this year. No one needs to doubt it,” the minister, popularly known as KTR, said.
“KCR (K Chandrashekar Rao) will become the chief minister for the third time,” he added.
On 31 July, KTR had, while briefing the media on state Cabinet decisions, said that the BRS would play a key role in the formation of the next Union government.
He made the comment while referring to the lack of cooperation from the Union government in acquiring defence lands that are necessary for taking up transportation projects.
KTR, who is also BRS working president, was speaking at handloom week celebrations after laying the foundation stone for a Pochampally Handloom Park in Yadadri-Bhuvanagiri district.
Lashing out at the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Union government for winding up the All India Handloom, Powerloom, and Handicrafts boards, he said that, as if this were not enough, it had scrapped the Housing Cum Work Shed programme.
“The Union government has been scrapping all schemes that would help weavers. The incumbent prime minister has been committing mistakes none of his predecessors committed in the last 75 years,” he said.
He described as a cruel imposition the five percent GST on handloom products.
“Ahead of Munugode by-eleciton, we wrote post-cards in lakhs to the prime minister, urging him to remove the GST on handloom products. Even KCR made an appeal to the prime minster at a public meeting at Chandur in Munugode Assembly constituency,” he said.
The BRS leader said that if the Union government has to do anything good for the state there has to be someone who can fight it.
“We need a leader who can force the Union government to attend to our requirements and needs. You should elect the candidates that KCR would field. We should be able to make our voice heard in Parliament,” he said.
KTR said that unless there was a Union government which listens to the state, the living conditions of weavers would not improve.
“The parties in Telangana which do slavery to their Delhi bosses would not be able to do anything for us. We need to have our say in Delhi. KCR should be at the Centre to play a key role. It will happen only when you bless him,” he said, pointing out that KCR had issue orders for the construction of a Padmashalai Bhavan at Kokapet.
KTR said that the BRS government was always on the side of the handloom and power loom weavers.
“We have formed corporations for their benefit. TSCO (Telangana State Handloom Weavers’ Cooperative Society) has been strengthened. We will hold elections for TSCO if necessary. All good things would happen for the workers as long as we have a leader like CKR who always thinks of people’s welfare, he said.
The textile minister said that KCR had proved that he was always in the forefront in helping all sections of society.
“KCR had resumed the process of ₹1 lakh loan waiver for the farmers. Many had doubts over whether he would complete it after Covid-19 played havoc with the state’s resources. He has kept his promise,” KTR said, adding that he would bring to the notice of the chief minister the need to waive the loans of weavers.
