BRS Leaders Joining Congress: Our Gates Are Open, Says Revanth Reddy

Responding to the BRS leaders making a beeline to join the Congress, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy said today that just one gate had been opened even now, and many more would join the Congress in the days to come.

The Chief Minister also reiterated that the Congress would continue its operation until the BRS went extinct, and that both the BRS and the BJP would see his style of politics in the days to come.

Addressing a "Meet the Press" program at the Suravaram Pratap Reddy Auditorium in Basheerbagh, the CM also lambasted former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao for "destroying the economy of Telangana and for ruling the State in a dictatorial manner" during the last ten years.

Citing the example of the Nizam rulers who did a lot of development works but still saw the people revolting against their autocraties, the Chief Minister said that history showed that the Telangana society did not tolerate slavery.

"KCR made similar attempts to perpetrate a dictatorial rule in Telangana. Like Qasim Rizvi, the former chief minister too tried to suppress those who rebelled against his supremacy and authority in Telangana. He imprisoned poets, writers and artists for years, and assaulted Telangana's cultural history to spread his own popularity. He snatched away the freedom of the people by distracting them with a new Secretariat and the Kaleshwaram project, and acted like a neo Nizam and implemented policies similar to those of the dynasts. It was for this reason that the people dethroned KCR and gave a big mandate to a people's government," Reddy claimed.

The CM said that the people got freedom after the Congress government came to power in the State and the barbed fence around the Pragathi Bhavan was removed.

"The Congress government gave freedom to the people within 100 days of coming to power, and started implementing all its promises. It has permitted everyone to enter the Secretariat. Our government is trying its best to convey the message that we are public servants and not their rulers. We have put an end to the domination of a group of officials in the administration, and brought transparency and decentralised the administration," Reddy said.

The CM also made it clear that the State government would not extend the Rythu Bharosa benefits to hillocks and mountains, and that steps were being taken to stop the mismanagement of the funds.

Responding to a question on former BSP leader R S Praveen Kumar joining hands with BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the CM said that he was a respectful person.

"The IPS officer Praveen would have become the DGP if he continued in service. The Congress government offered the TSPSC Chairman post to him, but he declined. I am not sure Praveen will join KCR's party. If he joins KCR, he will have to answer for that," Reddy said.