Brushing aside criticism levelled against him for leading an attack on Information and Broadcasting Minister J Geetha Reddy's residence, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader and MLA T Harish Rao told his critics to answer their own party leaders first and then turn their attention towards the TRS.
Speaking to media persons at the assembly premises on Tuesday, the TRS leader recalled that the Congress leaders from Telangana had warned that those who participated in the AP Formation Day celebrations would be considered betrayers to the Telangana cause.
Stating that he had no personal animosity towards Information and Broadcasting Minister J Geetha Reddy, Harish Rao stated that she became his target as she was the minister from the district he was elected to the assembly from.
Rao also stated that the TRS cadre was provoked to break the glass panes and other acts of vandalism only after police had attacked them. He also accused the minister of giving the protesting TRS cadre the slip by leaving through the back door of her house.
The TRS leader also criticised Geetha Reddy for speaking about her mother's love for Telangana, and mentioned that Eshwaribai had gone to jail for the sake of a separate state, but the daughter never followed her footsteps. He said that this was a pointer to the Congress leaders' dual standards towards Telangana.
Rao stated that there was no need to celebrate the Andhra Pradesh Formation Day in the region since it had suffered from injustices at the hands of the Seemandhra leaders ever since it had been formed. He added that about 600 students had laid down their lives so far for a separate State.