KTR Backing Out On 100 Seats Challenge: Congress

The Leader of the Opposition in the Telangana Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir accused Telangana IT & Panchayat Raj Minister K Taraka Rama Rao of backing off on his challenge that he would resign as minister if the TRS did not win 100 seats in the GHMC elections.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Shabbir Ali said that KTR had repeatedly challenged Opposition leaders offering to quit from the minister's post if the TRS failed to win 100 seats, and asking them to do the same if it did.

"When I eventually accepted his challenge, he took a U-turn and said he never claimed to be able to win 100 seats," he said, showing three separate video clippings of KTR making the claim.

"KTR is trying to run away from his own claims. His U-turn clearly shows that the TRS' graph is fast sliding. Tomorrow he might even deny claiming that the TRS would capture the Mayor's post on its own, and instead say that he hinted at post-poll alliances," he added.

Shabbir Ali said that KTR was inheriting the art of lying from his father and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao.

"KCR cheated the people of Telangana by making tons of fake promises in the 2014 general election campaign, and now KTR is misleading the people with new promises for the GHMC elections," he said.

"In its 2014 election manifesto, TRS had promised to develop Hyderabad as a global city. Promises like satellite townships, cleaning of the Hussain Sagar and the Musi river, resolving traffic problems, shifting of the Chanchalguda Jail and Race Course etc. were made. However, nothing was done in the last 19 months. Now the TRS is making new promises in its GHMC election manifesto. The Party must clarify on the status of the old promises and whether people should forget those in view of the new promises being made. Whose words should be trusted now - KCR's or KTR's?" he asked.

The Congress leader also questioned the silence of the TRS on the promises of 12% reservation for Muslims, and also accused the Party of insulting the poor Muslims by offering them 1,000 auto-rickshaws. "TRS should have announced a special package and technical education centres for the upliftment of the poor and downtrodden Muslims. By offering auto-rickshaws, the TRS leaders have clearly conveyed that they want Muslim youth to remain auto-drivers and do menial jobs," he said.

SETWIN Chairman Mohd Maqsood Ahmed and GHCC Minorities Department Chairman Shaik Abdullah Sohail were also present in the press conference.