KTR makes pitch for non-Congress, non-BJP alternative at the Centre

NEW DELHI: Telangana Minister and Bharat Rastra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Friday made a political pitch in New Delhi for a non-Congress, non-BJP alternative for the larger benefit of the country. He squarely blamed both the national parties for the problems plaguing the country.

Speaking to the media in New Delhi during his two-day visit to the national capital, KTR said that having the Congress or the BJP in any alliance would not benefit the country. “Congress and BJP are responsible for the problems our country is facing today. If political parties unite, taking the BJP or Congress along with them, will not benefit the country,” he felt.

KTR alleged that the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had failed miserably in developing the country. Even after 75 years of Independence, there are several villages lacking electricity and water supply.

The Telangana minister said that the BRS believed in uniting people and not uniting political parties. “There is an urgent need for unity among the people against the Congress and the BJP. We will continue our efforts to unite the people against these two parties, based on issues. The BRS will implement the Telangana development model across the country, following the progress made in the State,” he said.

Launching a scathing attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BRS Working President criticised Modi as the weakest Prime Minister in independent India. “The BRS is the only party in the country that has criticised the failures of Narendra Modi. If Prime Minister Modi was given a chance, he would take Delhi and place it in Gujarat,” KTR said.

KTR also said that people were facing a heavy burden due to the steep hike in the prices of all essential commodities in the BJP-led NDA Government. "Our PM is not 'priyamaina pradhani' (dear PM). He is 'piramaina pradhani' (costly PM) for hiking the rates of petrol and gas cylinders apart from essential commodities,” he said.

The BRS Working President also took a dig at the BJP Government at the Centre for discriminating against non-BJP-ruled States. He said that the BRS would play a proactive role in national politics, based out of Hyderabad and warned that a struggle would be inevitable if the Centre tried to usurp the rights of the State. “The BRS is against the ordinance that puts Delhi Government officials in the hands of the Centre. We will vote against the ordinance in both the Houses (of Parliament),” KTR said.

Responding to the BRS skipping the opposition parties meeting in Patna, KTR said, “Today, the unity of political parties is not that important, rather it is important to unite people on the issues prevailing in the country,” he said.