Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has taken exception to the comments of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy reportedly made during his ongoing tour of the US and termed him enemy of farming community of Telangana, mostly having uplands.
On Tuesday, several Ministers and party leaders came down heavily on the Congress leader and faulted Mr. Revanth Reddy. Minister for Finance and Health T. Harish Rao said Congress itself was anti-farmer as it was opposing Rythu Bandhu, Dharani and 24×7 free power to agriculture. The party leaders were speaking against the benefits extended to farmers. He asked the farmers to give a shock to the Congress, which was opposing the uninterrupted power to farming.
Addressing a press conference here, Minister for Energy G. Jagadish Reddy along with several legislators said by making such comments Mr. Revanth Reddy had once again proved that he was a true protege of former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu by repeating what the latter had spoken 20 years ago. He sought to know whether it was another Congress’ declaration.
In the past, Komatireddy Venkata Reddy had said the Congress would scrap Yadadri Thermal Power Station, if voted to power, but people scrapped Congress in the last elections. Now Mr. Revanth Reddy was talking about scrapping 24×7 power to farming, the Minister said and hoped that people would do the same one more time.
Responding to a question that several BRS leaders were in touch with Congress and BJP leaderships, Mr. Jagadish Reddy said: “Our leaders are not in touch with either of the two parties. In fact, people are in touch with BRS. In case anybody going in touch with other parties they will be doing so at the risk of losing touch with people”.
Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy blamed the decades of Congress rule for rendering the farm lands of Telangana drought-prone by not giving available water for irrigation and by speaking against uninterrupted power supply to farming the party was insulting farmers again. At Karmnagar, BRS ranks led by Minister for Civil Supplies G. Kamalakar hanged an effigy of the Congress party to a pole to protest Mr. Revanth Reddy’s comments on 24×7 power to farming.
Ministers A. Indrakaran Reddy, and T. Srinivas Yadav, Chevella MP G. Ranjith Reddy, and in-charge of party programmes in Hyderabad D. Sravan criticised Mr. Revanth Reddy for his comments. They sought to know whether the TPCC chief wanted uninterrupted power supply to his home but not to farming. They pointed out that the Congress had the history of deceiving farmers by not providing nine-hour supply to farming at a stretch after it came to power in 2004 by opposing the 6-7 hour supply given in spells by the previous TDP Government.
