The party alleged the TRS government was wasting Rs. 50 crores of public money to boost the image of the Telangana CM in the name of the World Telugu Conference.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief spokesperson Dasoju Sravan alleged that the TRS government was wasting over Rs. 50 crores of public money to boost the image of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in the name of the World Telugu Conference.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday, Sravan questioned KCR's change of stand towards "Telugu Talli". He pointed out that during the Telangana statehood movement, KCR had ridiculed Telugu Talli and had claimed that she had nothing to do with Telangana, and had even proposed the demolition of her statues in Telangana. The CM should explain what made him change his views on Telugu Talli, Sravan said.
He also pointed out that the same TRS leaders had objected to the conduct of World Telugu Conference in 2012. Was it not hypocrisy, Sravan sought to know.
He also asked what would be the sung in the event. Would it be "Ma Telugu Talli Ki Mallepu Danda" or "Jaye Jaya He Telangana", he asked.
The Congress leader said that the World Telugu Conference had nothing to do with the promotion of the Telugu language, and everything to do with the TRS government organizing another mega event to enhance its profile. He said that the entire administration had come to a grinding halt, and the entire government staff was focussed on event management instead of on governance.
This was especially tragic given the context, he said. After KCR took over as the Chief Minister, over 4,000 farmers had committed suicides while several jobless youth had ended their lives. Even those who actively participated in the statehood movement did not get any benefit from the new state. In this scenario, holding an event in the name of Telugu was highly condemnable, he said. He said that even Telugu Talli would be pained at the conditions prevailing in Telangana.
Sravan also strongly criticized KCR for ignoring eminent poets and writers of Telangana who had played a key role in the statehood movement. He pointed out that poets and writers including Gadar, Vimallakka, Jaya Bheem, Tirumal Rao, Goreti Venkanna, Andeshri and others were not even invited for the event, while some poets living in US and Australia were sent invitations in silver plates. He pointed out that Andeshri's song Jaye Jaye He Telangana, which was supposed to have been considered as the Telangana state song, was ignored after he refused to praise KCR in public meetings. He demanded that at least now the state government should honour Andeshri and declare Jaye Jaye He Telangana as the state's official song. He said that it was ridiculous that people like Nandi Sudha Reddy, Ramana Chary and Kavitha were part of the organizing committee, while genuine poets and writers of Telangana had been distanced from the event.
The Congress leader alleged that for all the brouhaha about the event, KCR was not serious about the promotion of Telugu. He said even the GOs of state government were not being published in Telugu. Further, no funds had been released for the Telugu University or the Telugu Academy. He said that the entire event was aimed at boosting the personal image of KCR for political reasons.
He also condemned the TRS government for not making a mention of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who granted statehood to Telangana, in the event.
Reacting to the allegations of Irrigation Minister T Harish Rao wherein he called Congress leaders power-hungry, Sravan said that the TRS would not have existed if the Congress had displayed any thirst for power. He said that the Congress could have granted Telangana only after TRS merged with it, but that the Congress was totally honest in its approach and gave statehood to Telangana without expecting any political gains. He said it was the TRS which was power-hungry, and for the same reason purchased legislators from the TDP, Congress, BSP, YSRCP and CPI.