Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday said he is among those who believe that India has the power to throw away ‘any black sheep that emerges amongst us.’
He called upon people to condemn the alleged attempts to divide society and to work towards enhancing the spirit of the country's independence.
“Some negative forces will always be there. We need not feel demoralised and dejected. This is the land which has driven away the so called indomitable British, who used to say the sun never sets on their empire and treated us like slaves,” Mr. Rao said.
The Chief Minister and Telangana Rashtra Samithi supremo was addressing the officials and elected public representatives from across the State after inaugurating ‘Swatantra Bharata Vajrotsavalu’ (celebration of 75 years of Independence of India).
In an oblique reference to BJP, Mr. Rao said that many are trying to tear apart the peace in the country with cheap tactics and conspiracies. “I request the people of this State and the country to collectively condemn such conspiracies to divide society and disturb the peace,” he said.
Further, he called upon the people to safeguard the country and move in the direction of enhancing the spirit of independence and endeavour for development. “If necessary, we should also be ready to work at a national level from Telangana,” he said.
The Chief Minister despised the alleged incidents and comments showing Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi and Independent India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in poor light.
“Mahatma Gandhi was a Vishwamanav (a man of universal consciousness) and highly respected and regarded person across the globe. Whenever I go to a foreign country and say I am from India, people there would immediately react and say ‘you are from the land of Gandhi’,” he said. “The Mahatma is being criticised. We should condemn such attempts in one voice and try to raise the greatness of the Father of the Nation," Mr. Rao said, adding that Gandhi would remain the Mahatma and any attempt of ‘divisive forces’ would never succeed.
He further recalled the comments of world leaders like Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and former president of the United States of America Barack Hussein Obama on Mahatma Gandhi.
“While I was the Member of Parliament, US President Barack Obama addressed a joint session during his visit to India and said he might not be standing before us, as President of the United States, had it not been for Gandhi and the message he shared and inspired with America and the world,” the 68-year-old legislator from Gajwel recalled.
“The new generation should know the freedom struggle. For that we have to celebrate the 75th Independence Day a grand scale and recall their struggle for freedom of this country,” he said.
He appreciated and congratulated Boxer Nikhat Zareen from Nizamabad district for winning a gold medal in the ongoing Commonwealth Games and said it was a gift to the nation during the Independence Day celebrations.
He further asked Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar to screen the movie ‘Gandhi’ in all districts for lakhs of students. “At least 20 lakh children are expected to watch Gandhi movie on 552 screens across the State and 1.20 crore national flags will be distributed,” Mr. Kumar said.
