Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remark that "KCR’s remote control is with Modi" in poll-bound Telangana has invited the wrath of both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). BJP leader and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Sunday claimed that Rahul has gone "overboard" after the Congress' massive electoral win in Karnataka.
According to The Indian Express, Gandhi was criticised by Reddy for calling BRS the "B team of the BJP" in Telangana. The Union Minister made it clear that the BJP would not form an alliance with the BRS for the state's approaching elections.
“Congress fought the election in Telangana by compromising with the BRS. We will not ally with BRS or Congress. He (Rahul Gandhi) is going overboard and speaking, just because they won one election in Karnataka,” ANI news agency quoted Reddy as saying.
“In Telangana, it is a fight between the Congress and the BJP’s B team, BRS. Like we defeated the BJP in Karnataka, similarly, we’ll defeat their B team in Telangana. During the opposition meeting in Delhi, we made it clear that the Congress would not join the meeting if TRS (now BRS) was part of it. We can never make a settlement with the BJP’s B team,” said Rahul.
Dasoju Sravan, a BRS leader referred to Gandhi's speech as "baseless" and "a bundle of lies."
“Rahul Gandhi’s speech in Khammam was a bundle of lies; he made baseless allegations, probably based on a script prepared by the Congress workers in Telangana. This is very unfortunate, ANI news agency quoted Sravan as saying.
The grand old party is doing everything in its power to make sure it wins the Telangana polls, which are set to take place later this year.
Speaking at the Telangana Janagarjana Sabha at Khamamm, Rahul Gandhi slammed the BRS by suggesting a new name for the party, “BJP Rishtedar Samiti.”
He also took a jibe at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, saying that the BRS leader had crushed the hopes of the state's oppressed people, labourers, and farmers.
Rahul flagged that Rao's daughter, K Kavitha, had been questioned by the ED earlier this year in relation to Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy and claimed that the BRS leader and his party members play second fiddle to the BJP, thus ruling out options of joining any alliance involving the BRS.
“KCR is seeking protection from Narendra Modi’s government as KCR’s daughter is involved in the Delhi liquor case. PM Modi is now pressuring the KCR government to support the BJP. The remote control of KCR is in Modi’s hands now.
Congress’s campaign in Karnataka was a fight between a corrupt government and oppressed groups, including the poor, OBCs, minorities, and oppressed of the state, said Gandhi.
“In the Parliament, Congress stood against BJP, but TRS and CM KCR became BJP’s B team. TRS extended its support to BJP for the Farmers Bill. PM Modi has CM KCR’s remote control, therefore he does whatever is asked from him,” said Gandhi.