Telangana Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy today ridiculed former Health Minister Etala Rajender for joining the BJP after having criticised it in the past.
Talking to the press, the minister accused the former minister of adopting double standards for personal political gains.
Expressing surprise over Rajender's decision, he pointed out that the latter used to flay the saffron party for various reasons till recently.
However, Reddy reacted most severely to Rajender's remarks against Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, and asserted, "The TRS government stands for the welfare of the poor, the farmers and the backward classes and spends huge funds to ensure this. Unlike any other state, our government gives priority to the cause of welfare through several schemes. It is unfair and disingenuous of anyone to try and deny this."
The minister also said that Rajender had opposed the BJP government just some months ago for implementing its "black farming laws" that would be detrimental to the farmers of the nation.
"The BJP government has levied heavy taxes on petrol and diesel. Rajender should explain to the people who have been badly affected by the policies of the BJP-led Centre why he wilfully joined the saffron party, especially since he joined it after facing serious land grab charges. The KCR government gave Rajender many posts and did not belittle him in any way. He seems to have forgotten all this after being reprimanded for his involvement in land grabbing," he added.
filed in:Telangana, Jagadish Reddy, Etala Rajender, Party Defections, BJP