Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao Sunday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” on the incidents of communal disharmony happening across the country and alleged that he is directly supporting the ideology of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi.
Reiterating what Jignesh Mevani said about Modi, the TRS leader dared the Modi government to arrest him like the Gujarat MLA was arrested by the Assam Police.
“I am of the firm opinion that this Prime Minister actually, tacitly and directly endorses and supports the ideology of the killer of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation,” said Rama Rao while describing Godse as independent India’s first terrorist.
KTR, as the TRS leader and Telangana minister is popularly known, was interacting with a select group of journalists here on Sunday.
“As the Prime Minister, if you endorse Godse’s ideology, if you do not condemn your party MPs, who openly in full public glare, celebrate Godse, what am I to make out of it,” he asked.
KTR also slammed Modi for silence on the incidents of communal disharmony. “So many incidents are happening across the country where certain sections of the society feel threatened and insecure. How come the Prime Minister doesn’t utter a word when all this is happening in full public glare. There is a saying: what you permit is what you promote. If you are permitting by staying mum, aren’t you promoting it? You are the Prime Minister of the country and not just the leader of BJP and an RSS ideologue. I am entitled to say this and if it makes it a culpable offence, so be it,” dared KTR, who is son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
“We have been arrested in the past. If they want to arrest, let them arrest,” he added.
KTR did not agree that there is a rise of BJP in the country, remarking that rabble rousing is the easiest thing to do especially with 24×7 electronic media and so many digital mediums all around.
“I don’t see the rise of BJP. There is a rise of inflation and unemployment. Unemployment is the highest in 45 years, I want to talk about it. Inflation is the highest in 30 years,” said the TRS leader.
KTR, however, lamented that diversionary tactics are winning in the country today. “Focus should be on job and not hijabs. We will not talk of halal or jhatka. We want debate on real issues. It’s not a big deal if a leader’s chest grows to 56 inch. Every poor’s chest should be 56 inch,” he said, taking a swipe at Modi.
He said the TRS wanted to expose BJP’s failed model and project the golden model of Telangana before the country.
He exuded confidence that the successful model of Telangana will set the agenda at the national level. He called it an integrated and holistic model of Telangana vis-a-vis the “golmaal” model of Gujarat which was used by Modi to win the 2014 polls.
“There should be a debate. If the problem of electricity could be solved in 6 months in Telangana, why can’t it be done in the entire country. If the world’s largest lift irrigation project can come up in Telangana in just four years and if every house can get drinking water, why can’t it happen in the rest of the country,” he said and pointed out that both information technology and agriculture are growing hand in hand in Telangana and the industry and environment are being equally taken care of.
He blamed the Congress if BJP looks infallible in some parts of the country. “I want to say it is purely because of one institution and that is Congress. Congress’ inability to bring out these issues to centre stage is what is making BJP look very infallible.”
He believed that BJP is strong in states where it is in direct contest with Congress. “Wherever there is contest with a sensible party and a good leader like Mamata Banerjee, Naveen Patnaik and (M.K.) Stalin the BJP has been checkmated. This also happened in Punjab, Telanganam and Delhi,” he said.
KTR remarked that Congress is tried and tested for 50 years and now dusted. “Inspite of Prashant Kishor or anybody, I don’t see a great deal of hope for Congress.”
He is of the view that all political parties in the country are regional parties with the BJP being a relatively larger regional party followed by Congress
“In South India, except in Karnataka, where the BJP is. In Telangana, they won four MPs. It’s an aberration. They have not been consistent in terms of their performances anywhere in South India,” he said.