Kishan Reddy Dares KCR To Debate On Country's Economy

Union Minister for Tourism & Culture G Kishan Reddy today dared Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao to a debate on the economic condition of the country.

He asked the CM whether he would come for the debate at the Press Club or the Martyrs' Memorial in the city.

He said that he was ready to hold the debate at any time, with the only condition that the language of the CM should be respectful.

Speaking to media persons in New Delhi, Reddy alleged that the CM had lied about the economic condition of the country and its GDP.

He asked the CM if he was blind to the fact that India had emerged as the fifth largest economy of the world under Narendra Modi from the 11th under Manmohan Singh's rule.

Referring to the comparison of the economy of India with those of countries like Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Myanmar and Singapore, Reddy said that it was normal that the per capita income of countries with low populations was always high, and that such comments simply reflected a lack of basic economic knowledge in KCR.

He pointed out that the USA has a debt of 120% and the UK 273% of their respective GDPs, and said that the debt of India would not cross 19.9% of its GDP.

He claimed that despite the impact of the coronavirus, the Modi government was marching ahead on the path of development to achieve self-reliant status unlike other countries which were yet to recover.

He alleged that the CM had conducted the budget session only to target the union government and level baseless allegations against it. He claimed that KCR was not able to digest the growing popularity of the BJP and the growing discontent about his own rule among the people, and was resorting to every possible means to defame the BJP.

Reddy also alleged that after completely eliminating the Congress in the Legislative Council and doing nearly the same in the Assembly as well, the CM was now planning to join hands with the same Congress, given his praise of former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and Indira Gandhi. This showed KCR's sheer opportunism, Reddy said.