Aao, Dekho, Seekho, KTR tells Modi

“Aao, Dekho, Seekho” was the message that TRS working president and Minister KT Rama Rao had for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP top brass visiting Hyderabad for the saffron party’s national executive meeting on July 2 and 3. Rama Rao, welcoming the BJP leaders in a missive to the Prime Minister on the eve of the meeting, urged them to see and learn from Telangana about development, welfare and policies. 

He requested the BJP leadership to stop fanning hatred and instead, take new strides to promote communal harmony and universal brotherhood.

Taking a hard dig at the BJP, the TRS working president said the pathetic conditions prevailing in the BJP-ruled ‘double engine’ States must have prompted the leadership to hold their national executive meeting in Hyderabad. He reminded that the Centre itself had presented several awards to Telangana for its achievements.

Advising the BJP leaders to study the successful schemes implemented in Telangana and replicate them in their respective States, he said several innovative programmes such as Rythu Bandhu and Mission Bhagiratha from Telangana were being emulated not only by other States, but also the Central government. He flayed the BJP leadership for its failure to implement the promises made under Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act for the development of Telangana.

Stating that the BJP has hatred, narrow-mindedness and divisive politics in its DNA, the Minister doubted if the party’s national executive meeting would be progressive enough to discuss development. “People are aware that the agenda of your meetings is hatred and your ideology is divisive politics. But, we urge you not to fan hatred to destroy the Ganga Jamuni Tehzeeb of this State. Instead, try to discuss development and progress,” he said.

The TRS working president stated that Telangana was creating history of sorts through its unique policies of irrigation-infrastructure-innovation-inclusiveness and achieving inclusive development. He hoped that the land of Telangana will help the BJP leadership change its thought process and perspective to discuss development as an agenda and promoting unity in diversity. 

“As a party which floats on the foundation of blatant lies, I doubt if you are ready to introspect and implement a course correction. But as a citizen of this country which is suffering due to your inefficient rule and policies, I expect you to learn lessons from your mistakes,” he added. Rama Rao suggested that the union Ministers and the Chief Ministers of the BJP-ruled States study the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme and try to strengthen irrigation facilities in their respective States. He asked them to learn from the success story of Mission Kakatiya which rejuvenated 46,000 tanks and went on to become a case study for the All India



Services officers.

By opposing the Centre’s farm and electricity reforms, Telangana was safeguarding its farmers from corporate powers as well as supporting them with schemes such as Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and free power supply to make farming a remunerative occupation, he said. “Stop your vindictive policies against farmers and instead, support them for a better India,” he said, and urged the union government to revise the PM-KISAN beneficiaries list by accommodating new farmers. Rama Rao said unlike the BJP-ruled States, 

Telangana has succeeded in providing power supply to remote villages and hamlets. The State government also ensured drinking water supply to every household in the State under Mission Bhagiratha. “It is very unfortunate that people, especially women are risking their lives for a sip of drinking water even after 75 years of independence. This must change,” he said. Rama Rao stated that despite no support from the union government in sanctioning any major educational institutions, the Telangana government established over 1,000 Gurukul residential schools and was constructing government medical colleges in every district headquarter. He suggested that the BJP leadership come up with programmes for improved education and medical services.

The Industries Minister lashed out at the BJP leadership for going back on its promise of providing two crore jobs per annum in the private sector and denying new jobs by selling public sector undertakings. He stated that the TRS government was filling about 2.5 lakh vacant government jobs, while the BJP government at the Centre had kept 16 lakh jobs in various departments vacant. Further, employment opportunities were being provided through private sector. Rama Rao said 

Telangana had progressed on all fronts in the last eight years, despite the Centre’s discrimination. He dared the BJP leadership to discuss issues such as inflation, and rising prices of LPG and petroleum products. He advised them to study over 450 welfare schemes such as Aasara pensions, Kalyana Lakshmi and Shaadi Mubarak, among others, to implement them in their respective States.

He expressed concern over the national economy and inflation as well as the steep fall in the Rupee value against the US Dollar, due to the Centre’s bankrupt policies. He wanted the BJP leaders, who graduated from ‘WhatsApp University’, to learn some lessons from Telangana on economic growth and budget management. 

He reminded that Telangana was the fourth-largest contributor to the national economy, despite being the 11th largest State in the country in terms of geography. “Finally, eat Hyderabadi biryani, sip Irani chai and try to start afresh in order to develop a society without walls,” he concluded.