The BRS leader labelled Reddy the most incompetent Chief Minister in independent India.
In a scathing attack on Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, BRS working president K T Rama Rao today accused the Congress government of insulting government employees, mismanaging the State's economy and failing to deliver on election promises.
Addressing the media at Telangana Bhavan, KTR condemned the Chief Minister's derogatory remarks about State government employees who had been vocal about pending salaries and dues. Labelling Reddy "the most incompetent Chief Minister in independent India", KTR accused him of trying to portray the employees as villains in the public eye, as part of a conspiracy to deflect accountability.
"The sacrifices made by Telangana's employees, especially during the Statehood movement, were instrumental in the formation of the State. For the Chief Minister to treat them thus is not only shameful but also an affront to their contributions," he said.
KTR said that former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao had offered a 73% fitment to employees, significantly improving their financial security. In contrast, he said, the Congress government had failed to clear even the pending Dearness Allowances (DA) and retirement benefits, leaving employees in distress.
KTR also said that employees were merely demanding the implementation of the Congress' own election manifesto. "The Congress leaders promised the moon during elections, and are now humiliating those who ask for what was pledged. This is intellectual bankruptcy," he said.
The BRS leader also dismissed the Chief Minister's claims of a financial crisis in Telangana, calling them a smokescreen to conceal administrative failures. "Revanth Reddy's statement that Telangana is bankrupt is unprecedented. No political leader in independent India has ever cursed their own State in this manner. Appointing Reddy as Chief Minister was a grave mistake," KTR said.
Refuting claims of an economic decline under the BRS, KTR cited official data showing that Telangana ranked number one in per capita income growth over the past decade. "When KCR took charge, Telangana was ranked 12th. Under the BRS, it became the top-performing State. And the Congress has turned a prosperous State into chaos in just 17 months," he claimed.
KTR also questioned the Congress government's shifting narrative on State debt. "Initially, they claimed the BRS left a Rs 6 lakh crore debt. Now, they say it's Rs 8.5 lakh crore. Is Revanth Reddy running a government or a circus?" he quipped, and cited Parliament data that placed Telangana 28th among Indian States in debt burden.
He accused the Congress of making reckless election promises with no intention of fulfilling them, branding their manifesto the biggest fraud of the century.
He also said that the government had spent Rs 200 crore on "beauty contests and other non-essential activities while ignoring pending employee salaries and retiree benefits".
"There's money for pageants, but none for salaries? What kind of governance is this?" KTR asked.
Slamming the government's failure to maintain basic infrastructure and services, he said, "Under KCR, there was uninterrupted power and water supply. Now, everything is faltering."
He also pointed to a decline in stamp and registration revenue, which dropped from Rs 14,295 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 14,000 crore in 2024-25, attributing it to "thoughtless decisions" by the Revanth Reddy administration.
In a particularly sharp remark, KTR labelled Revanth Reddy a thief, and asked for the source of the latter's family's growing wealth. He alleged that the Chief Minister's relatives had amassed vast assets, including thousands of acres of land and a pharmaceutical company in Lagacherla, while the State's revenues were shrinking.
"Revanth Reddy's family wealth is growing, but Telangana's income is shrinking. He must answer to the people," KTR said.
He also recalled Reddy's alleged involvement in the cash-for-votes scandal, and said, "A man caught with bundles of currency - what is he, if not a thief?" KTR accused the Congress of handing over the State to an "incompetent and dishonest" leader, warning that Telangana's future was at stake.
Contrasting the Congress's performance with that of the BRS, KTR listed the Kaleshwaram project, which he described as a lifeline, and the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, 90% of which was completed under BRS, as huge achievements. He also spoke of flagship welfare schemes like Rythu Bandhu, which he claimed deposited Rs 73,000 crore into the accounts of 70 lakh farmers, and the provision of 24-hour free power.
He also spoke about BRS' focus on infrastructure, citing 36 new flyovers in Hyderabad, completion of the first phase of the Hyderabad Metro, and construction of medical colleges, gurukul schools and farmers' platforms across the State.
"KCR turned Telangana into a golden State. Revanth Reddy has undone that progress in just 17 months," KTR said, and demanded that Revanth Reddy apologise to the people of Telangana for his "incompetent" governance and resign if he was unable to deliver.