TPCC Vice-President Mohammed Ali Shabbir described the dismissal of Dr T Rajaiah from the cabinet of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao as an insult to all Dalits.
Speaking to media persons after participating in the Republic Day celebrations at Gandhi Bhavan on Monday, Shabbir Ali said that although the Chief Minister had every right to induct or remove a minister from his cabinet, the way Rajaiah was dismissed was highly objectionable.
The Chief Minister neither framed charges nor gave an opportunity to Rajaiah to explain his version.
The sudden dismissal was against the spirit of democracy, and reflected the dictatorial attitude of KCR, Shabbir Ali alleged.
When some reporters pointed out that the Congress government too had sacked Dr P Shankar Rao from the cabinet, he clarified that Dr Shankar Rao was given one week's time to submit his resignation. He was dismissed only at the end of deadline.
However, in the present case, Dr Rajaiah himself claimed that he treated KCR as his father, and that he himself would have resigned if asked. But instead of ensuring a dignified exit, Dr Rajaiah was humiliated in public through the sudden dismissal.
Shabbir Ali said that people had a right to know the real reasons the Chief Minister dismissed Dr Rajaiah.
"If the reason was corruption, then what where the specific charges? Who else were involved in the scam?" he asked, demanding a CBI probe into the allegations.
He said that the Congress had welcomed it when KCR had ordered a CID probe alleging irregularities in the housing scheme during the Congress regime. Similarly, KCR should now order a CBI probe in the medical scam.
The Congress leader said that the entire TRS government was being viewed with suspicion due to its actions. Citing examples, he said that the Chief Minister first ordered demolitions at the Ayyappa Society and then maintained questionable silence. Similarly, lots of doubts were being raised over the purchase of a new fleet of vehicles for the police department. And thousands of complaints of corruption were being received against the CM's Peshi, ministers and ruling party MLAs on the toll-free number provided by the Chief Minister himself during his Warangal visit.
He demanded that KCR order a probe into all these allegations.
Shabbir Ali alleged that KCR, during his eight-month rule, had thrown all morals and ethics to the wind. He openly encouraged defections in other parties in violation of the Anti-Defection Law, and for the first time in the history of India, an MLA belonging to an opposition party was inducted into the cabinet without him first resigning from his post.
He said that of the 18 ministers in the Telangana Cabinet, eight hailed from the Telugu Desam Party, which openly opposed the formation of Telangana. KCR himself served as a minister in Chandrababu Naidu's cabinet, and the other ministers were Kadiam Srihari, Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Tummala Nageshwara Rao, P Mahender Reddy, Jogu Ramanna and Ajmera Chandulal, Shabbir Ali said.
The Congress leader accused KCR of promoting people like Talasani who had openly worked against the formation of Telangana. (INN)