Rajnath Singh calls KCR corrupt, asks one chance for BJP to bring Gujarat-like development

HUZURABAD: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh blamed K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) for the lopsided development of Telangana, particularly when compared to Gujarat and asked for one chance for the BJP to usher in speedy and equitable development in Telangana.

“The KCR Government developed only Hyderabad leaving the rest of the Telangana to fend for itself. Look at Gujarat which has been ruled by BJP for 27 years, it has become a developmental model for the entire country,” Rajnath Singh said addressing the ‘Huzurabad Janagarjana’ public meeting at Jammikunta on Monday.

“If Gujarat can be developed, why not the entire Telangana, this is what the people of Telangana want to know,” he said adding that the BRS which ruled the State for two terms failed to develop the State. “People are hard-working, they are skilled but why Telangana is not developing?” he wanted to know.

Attributing this to family rule in Telangana, he said that development in the State was hindered by the entire family of KCR turning the State into a private limited company. “I have no personal grudge against KCR’s family members, but there is rampant corruption. So much so that the news reached Delhi. I tell you there is no smoke without fire,” Rajnath alleged. He advised KCR that he must care about the State first and then the family.

Commending Huzurabad MLA Etela Rajender,the Defence Minister said that he came out of the BRS because he was unable to bear the corrupt and family-run setup in the BRS. “KCR spent crores of rupees in the by-election but finally Etela won the election,” he observed.

He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept his promises like the Sri Ram temple in Ayodhya, and abrogation of Article 370, but KCR Government failed to provide three acres of land to the Dalits and Rs 10 lakh to Dalits under Dalit Bandhu. “A leader should keep his words, if you don’t keep your words people will not believe you,” he said.

Calling the Chief Minister’s flagship programme ‘Dharani’ portal a programme designed to usurp lakhs of acres of land, Rajnath said that the Centre has come up with ‘Bhooswamitra Yojana’ which will digitally map the entire country. “Even if there is a dispute, the digital information will help in solving the dispute,” he said.

Recalling the importance of Telangana in the growth of the BJP, he said that in 1984 BJP won just two seats and one of them was from Telangana region. KCR alone didn’t not achieve Telangana, BJP also fought for it, above all the people of Telangana fought for it, he said.

“The Congress had no chance to grant separate state when the entire region become one and asked for statehood,” Rajnath said. He pointed out that the Congress made so many mistakes while carving the State that even after formation of Telangana, several pending problems faced by the State were not solved.

Under Atal Bihari Vajpayee Government three States, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh were formed but they were developing, unlike Telangana, he said.