Didn't Meant To Hurt Anyone: KTR On Remarks About AP

Telangana IT & Industries Minister K T Rama Rao clarified today that his remarks about Andhra Pradesh were not meant to hurt anyone.

"It appears that an innocuous comment that I had made at a meeting may have caused some unintentional pain to my friends in Andhra Pradesh," KTR tweeted. "I enjoy a great brotherly equation with AP CM Jagan garu, and wish that the State prospers under his leadership," he wrote.

KTR's comments at a property show of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) in Hyderabad yesterday had evoked strong reaction from several ministers in Andhra Pradesh.

While highlighting how the basic infrastructure had improved significantly in Hyderabad over the last seven years, KTR had said that people appreciated the value of this when they visited other States.

In an apparent reference to Andhra Pradesh, he had said that his friend, who had visited a neighbouring State to celebrate Sankranthi at his native place, had shared with him his experience during the stay.

KTR said that the friend had told him that when he had stayed in his native village for four days, there were no electricity and no drinking water, and that the roads were in a bad condition.

"He also suggested that I arrange a few buses and send people from here to the neighbouring State as only then would they realise the value of the work being done by the government in Telangana," said KTR, who is the son of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. "If you feel this is an exaggeration, you may go to the neighbouring State, only then will you appreciate us more," he added.

Needless to say, AP ministers condemned KTR for the remarks and asked him to withdraw them.

Andhra Pradesh Education Minister Botsa Satyanarayana was among the first to hit back. He stated that he had personally experienced power cuts during his stay in Hyderabad, and that he had to use a generator at home on a recent visit. He also said that it was not proper on the part of a responsible minister to speak like that about a neighbouring State, and asked him to withdraw the remarks.

Later, another minister Roja too disagreed with KTR's comments, and asked him to visit AP.