Mahmood Ali Attacks BJP's "Divide & Rule" Politics

Telangana Home Minister Mohammad Mahmood Ali today alleged that the BJP was adopting a policy of divide and rule in the state.

Speaking at a program in Asifnagar, where the minister invited local BJP leaders, including Dharam Veer Singh, into the TRS fold, he alleged that the leaders of the saffron party had been riling up communal tensions in "the otherwise peaceful" state of Telangana for electoral gains.

"It is deplorable that the BJP constantly engages in a divide and rule kind of politics. The party's leaders in the state have been fanning communal tensions in Telangana too. This sort of cheap politics creates disharmony. The BJP, however, seems to have no qualms about engaging in this kind of behaviour just for the sake of a few votes," he said.

"While it has been unable to bring any development to the state, the party seems to have no trouble spreading hatred for its own personal gains. Even the Modi government seems to operate in the same way. It has achieved nothing since it came to power in 2014," Mahmood Ali added.

Continuing his attack on the saffron party, the minister said, "In stark contrast to the BJP, who has not achieved much in terms of developing the nation, the TRS government has ushered in an era of holistic development and comprehensive welfare in Telangana. After coming to power, the TRS has rolled out several programs for the benefit of the people of the state. The farmers have been able to secure their livelihoods through the Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bhima programs, the establishment of the Rythu Vedikas and the many irrigation schemes undertaken by the government. Others in the state have benefited from our marriage support and pension schemes."

The TRS and the BJP have been locking horns over several issues for quite some time now. As the Nagarjuna Sagar by-election and the graduates' constituencies' MLC elections in the state draw closer, it is likely that the exchange of allegations between the two parties will only become increasingly unpleasant.