CM Ignoring Telangana: Jogi Ramanna

Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA Jogi Ramanna on Friday accused Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy of ignoring development in the districts of the Telangana region.

Participating in the debate on the State Reorganisation Bill in the state Legislative Assembly, Jogi pointed out that Adilabad district, which is dominated by a tribal population, faces continued discrimination and neglect by successive state governments. He condemned the speech delivered by the Chief Minister in the Assembly claiming that he had brought about equal development in the entire state.

Jogi alleged that several farmers are being forced to commit suicide due to a lack of seeds, fertilizers and water to carry out agriculture. He said that the government has been making false claims of helping farmers trapped in debts due to crop failures and the neglect of the government.

The TRS MLA said that over 1,100 students and youth have committed suicide for the cause of a Telangana state, and that no such agitation was witnessed in the Seemandhra region. He described the protest in Seemandhra after the Centre's decision to bifurcate the state as artificial. He alleged that the protests in Seemandhra were organised by some leaders who wanted to continue to loot the wealth of the Telangana region.

Ramanna also accused TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu of cheating the people of Telangana. He said that Naidu chanted "Jai Telangana" slogans during his padayatra and later took a U-turn on the issue. He said accused Naidu and Kiran Kumar Reddy of cheating the people of the Telangana region.

These remarks triggered protests by the TDP MLAs. Intervening, TDP MLA Errabelli Dayakar Rao alleged that the TRS was cheating the people of Telangana by exploiting their sentiments. He claimed that it was Naidu who had helped the family of Srikanth Reddy who had committed suicide (allegedly) for the Telangana cause, and that contrary to this, the TRS had tried to play politics over Srikanth Reddy's dead body. (INN)