Former Health Minister Etala Rajender today alleged that the leaders of Telangana's ruling party, the TRS, did not ever speak freely, and that they were made to parrot whatever the party's high command wanted them to say.
Speaking to reporters in Karimnagar, he said that the state
government's treatment of him had left him feeling shocked, and added, "Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has used an excessive amount of force against me even though I have not caused any harm to the state or to my party. This, despite the fact that I have been a part of the TRS for many years now. I did not expect this kind of treatment from the CM and my party."
"I have never opposed the party or the proposals made by my colleagues, including that of elevating IT Minister K T Rama Rao to the post of chief minister someday. I welcomed the proposal, in fact. But, this does not mean that I do not support KCR. I have always supported him, and have never spoken against him unlike some of my colleagues in the TRS," he added.
Citing one such incident, Rajender claimed, "BC Minister Gangula Kamalakar had expressed displeasure at the CM for granting him an appointment when he had gone to meet KCR. Following the incident, Kamalakar called KCR headstrong. Now many leaders like him, who have often spoken against the CM, are supporting him and targeting me."
The leader slammed the CM for not "treating the party's leaders with adequate respect".
He also claimed that the state's administration had not even bothered to serve official notices to his poultry farm, Jamuna Hatcheries, which is currently being investigated on charges of land encroachment, before conducting the enquiry. He claimed, "The decision to
remove me from my post was a unilateral decision taken by the TRS high command to tarnish my image. I have never been accused of any such thing in my 20-year-old long political career. Why would I suddenly begin to grab lands now? The allegations being levelled against me are entirely false. The government should conduct a probe headed by a judge to find the truth. I hope all the relevant legal procedures will be followed."