Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday accused the BJP of attempting to transform India into an "absolute one-party system" akin to North Korea under Kim Jong Un. He alleged that the controversy surrounding AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan's rejected Rajya Sabha nomination was part of a larger political design.
Revanth's Allegations Against BJP
Speaking to mediapersons in Delhi after meeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Revanth claimed that the BJP had moved beyond 'stealing votes' and was now trying to 'steal seats' by misusing institutions. "The saffron party's decision to field a third candidate despite lacking the necessary numbers exposed their conspiracy. After successfully snatching Meenakshi's seat, the BJP and BRS engaged in an aggressive campaign by alleging that there were converts in the Congress. This ploy was only to divert attention from the BJP's illegal actions," Revanth alleged.
Defense of Meenakshi Natarajan
Defending Meenakshi over the private complaint that led to the rejection of her nomination papers by the returning officer in Madhya Pradesh, Revanth stated that she had no role in resolving disputes between individuals. "Meenakshi does not have the authority to resolve a dispute between two persons. When a private complaint is filed in court, the court issues summons as part of the procedure. Nomination only requires the details of criminal cases to be included, but there is no time limit for the notices to be included. Even notices could have been issued on PM Modi, but all such notices may not have been mentioned in his election affidavit," he explained.
He alleged that the returning officer acted in a partisan manner. "The Election Commission returning officer acted like a BJP party worker and took a decision benefiting the BJP. As per the Supreme Court's instructions, we will file an election petition," he said.
Cabinet Expansion and Political Discussions
While Revanth maintained that cabinet expansion did not figure in his discussions with Rahul Gandhi, sources indicated that the issue came up briefly and could be taken up later this month. "The present cabinet is good. All the MLAs of the Congress are eligible for a ministerial berth. Anyone can meet Rahul Gandhi," he said.
Sources revealed that Revanth also briefed Rahul Gandhi on the Meenakshi complaint, the political situation in Telangana, the Congress government's performance over the past two-and-a-half years, and its roadmap for the remainder of the term.
Response to Pawan Kalyan
Responding to questions on Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister and Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan, Revanth stated that permission had not been denied to him for political reasons. "Pawan Kalyan is free like everyone to come and go and contest elections in Telangana. Why would that be a problem to us? Our ministers responded because he had allegedly spoken against the sentiments of Telangana," he said.
Interaction with PM Modi
The chief minister also sought to downplay the significance of his recent interaction with Modi. "It was PM Modi who hugged me. I did not initiate it. Nothing more should be read into it. When the Centre and states work in coordination, then only states and the country will develop. I requested him to cooperate in the pending projects in the state and sought approvals and central funding for projects," he said.
Revanth accused the Centre of discriminating against Telangana and claimed that Union minister G Kishan Reddy was blocking approvals and funds meant for the state. "There are internal differences among the Telangana BJP MPs. If the eight BJP MPs from Telangana threaten to resign, the Centre will approve projects and release funds to the state," he said.
Inter-State Projects
On inter-state projects, Revanth said Telangana required around 2,000 acres in Maharashtra for the proposed Tummidihatti barrage under the Pranahita-Chevella project and that his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis had agreed to discuss the issue in July.
Clarification on Hitler Remark
CM Revanth said his remarks invoking Hitler at a meeting had been distorted. "Why would anyone living in a democracy ever claim Hitler as their role model? My comments were distorted. I had taken the name of Hitler only to clarify that HYDRAA is going after land sharks and protecting water bodies in Telangana, and that there was reportedly one HYDRA during Hitler's regime too," he said.
