Leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday criticised State Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development K.T. Rama Rao for his statements on cutting down water and electricity supply to local military authorities or the Cantonment limits.
Mr. Rao had made the statements while responding to a question regarding Strategic Nala Development Programme (SNDP) in the Legislative Assembly on Saturday.
While pointing at the Centre’s non-contribution to Telangana’s SNDP, he had said that a check dam construction on the Balkapur Nala in the Defence limits of Mehdipatnam was causing the Tolichowki’s Shah Hatim Talab to overflow and was inundating Nadeem Colony.
According to senior BJP leader D K Aruna, it was the High Court of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh that said Cantonment roads can be closed to maintain security in defence areas. And despite that, former Defence Ministers Manohar Parrikar and Nirmala Sitharaman accepted people’s requests and reopened Cantonment roads, she said.
Also taking to Twitter, BJP’s national Information & Technology in-charge Amit Malviya said Cantonments have vital installations and are under constant threat of terror attacks.
“Sometimes Cantonment Boards do take decisions to close or divert roads, which impacts everyone, including those who live inside. But to cut electricity and water? Only tyrants do such things,” he wrote.
BJP spokesperson N V Subhash condemning Mr. Rao’s statements said threatening the military authorities is unacceptable.
"It is a really shocking comment from Telangana Municipal Minister K T Rama Rao who is well educated. He doesn't even have respect for our Indian Army. This really shows the Telangana government's stand on how they treat our Army," he said, speaking to a news agency.
