Telangana: Governor calls 10-year BRS rule a ‘dictatorship’; ‘nonsense’ says party as it hits back

The Governor said a concerted effort was underway to reconstruct the “ruined” constitutional bodies, systems and values in the last 10 years.

“I am delighted to say that the people’s government is reviving the constitutional merits, systems and practices,” she said, contending that the unilateral decisions and dictatorial approaches adopted in the past were against the principles of democracy.

BRS hits back

Within hours of Soundararajan’s remarks, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao, or KTR, dubbed them as “nonsense”, “truly appalling” and a display of her brazen affection towards the Congress party.

“(The Governor’s comments are) truly appalling, and truly reprehensible, the kind of speech, the kind of words, the kind of nonsense that was coming out of the Raj Bhavan this morning. Because for the last 10 years there was a democratically-elected government in Telangana. Every single word that the Governor has used today in her speech is truly insulting and humiliating to the people of Telangana,” he told PTI.

KTR said he was under the impression that the Governor was a “BJP Karyakarta (worker), but unfortunately it seems like she has joined the Congress party” and suggested that she has enrolled in the grand old party to display her “brazen affection” towards that party.

He noted that the Governor, who had earlier rejected the names of two persons recommended by then Cabinet to the Legislative Council, has accepted the recommendations of the Congress government.

Replying to a query on the national Opposition alliance, he said as long as Rahul Gandhi was at the helm, nothing was going to happen in the Congress party and the INDIA bloc.

In a post on X, he also said the Governor’s remarks were proof of Congress-BJP “collusion politics”.

గవర్నర్ వ్యవహరిస్తున్న పక్షపాత తీరు.. కాంగ్రెస్ – బీజేపీ కుమ్మక్కు రాజకీయాలకు నిదర్శనం.

– బీఆర్ఎస్ వర్కింగ్ ప్రెసిడెంట్ శ్రీ @KTRBRS pic.twitter.com/ELLxJn8Uxr

— BRS Party (@BRSparty) January 26, 2024

Also Read: Politics takes center stage as South India celebrates election-year Republic Day

Governor’s praise for Congress

On the Congress government, the Governor said it striving to deliver equal opportunities, rendering social justice, and granting freedom to all sections of people. Describing Revanth Reddy’s dispensation as a “people’s government”, she said it had initiated an action plan to fulfil the assurances given to the people from the first minute of assuming charge.

“Two of the six guarantees have already been implemented,” she said.

She said that the people had used the power the constitution gave them to remove the rulers who run governments against the spirit of Constitution through struggles and verdicts in elections.

“We achieved a separate Telangana state with the inspiration of the Constitution and the rights enshrined in it. The Constitution also provided the people with the opportunity to terminate the governments ruling against the constitutional spirit,” she said.

Complimenting the state government for providing free bus ride to women under the Mahalaxmi scheme, she said 11 crore women have already made use of the facility.

“The government’s main objective is to implement four other guarantees in 100 days and see the smiles on the faces of people. The previous government had mismanaged the finances of the state, which led to a precarious condition in the state in regard to resources.

“Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s government, however, is moving fast with grit and determination to make Telangana compete with the world and write a new chapter in the welfare and development sector,” she said.

Gallery: Telangana tableau part of Republic Day parade after three years

Focus on youth

The Governor came down on the BRS government for neglecting employment generation and providing livelihoods to the people during the last 10 years.

“The erstwhile state government was indifferent towards the youth, who played a key role during the Telangana movement. But the people’s government, led by Revanth Reddy, is paying special attention to providing jobs to the youth. The process of reforming the TSPSC (Telangana State Public Service Commission) is in progress. Job recruitment will be taken up by the government soon after the completion of the process,” she said.

She also referred to commitment made by companies to invest capital in Telangana during Revanth Reddy’s Davos visit. The state had succeeded in entering into agreements for the highest-ever ₹40,232 crore investments with global and domestic companies.

The Governor maintained that the state government had already paid Rythu Bharosa money into small and medium farmers’ bank accounts.

“The Government is also holding deliberations with banks to implement ₹2 lakh loan waiver scheme for farmers and will complete it in a planned manner,” she said.

Also Read: Vijayakanth, Vyjayantimala, Venkaiah Naidu, Chiranjeevi, among Padma recipients