Congress Questions KCR's Silence On Union Budget

The Telangana Congress has questioned the silence of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao over the "injustice" done to Telangana in the interim union budget 2019-20.

"KCR is among the few Chief Ministers who did not express their views directly on the BJP government's interim budget. A few TRS leaders issued formal statements but the Chief Minister himself chose to remain quiet," alleged TPCC Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy.

Reddy said that KCR should have addressed a press conference immediately after the presentation of interim budget on February 1. But the Chief Minister not only maintained silence, he was also making serious attempts to divert the people's attention to other issues, he alleged.

He also demanded that the Chief Minister adopt a "loud tone" from the present "whispering tone" in speaking against Prime Minister Narender Modi and his government. "Telangana did not get its due share in any of the union budgets presented by the BJP government. None of the promises made to Telangana in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act has been fulfilled. The promised coach factory at Kazipet, steel plant at Bayyaram and multiple other Central projects have all remained non-starters. Despite the recommendation by NITI Ayog, Telangana was denied funds for Mission Bhagiratha, Mission Kakatiya and the Kaleshwaram project. But KCR never gathered the courage to register any strong protests against the Modi government," he said.

Reddy said that KCR's silence against the Centre clearly showed that he was pro-Modi and pro-BJP, and dared the CM to hold protests against the BJP government for the injustices done to Telangana during the last five years. He also demanded that KCR present a statistical report on year-wise funds released by the Centre as against the demand made by the Telangana government.

The TPCC leader said that the TRS leaders were feeling elated by claiming that the Centre had copied its Rythu Bandhu scheme by offering investment support to farmers, but that the Congress party had pointed out on several occasions that the Rythu Bandhu scheme itself was not comprehensive and did not cover all farmers, especially the tenant farmers. The Central government's proposed income support scheme promising Rs 6,000 to farmers holding less than five acres of land was erratic and could be well described as too little and too late, he said.