Revanth Reddy takes a dig at BRS claim of making sacrifices during Telangana stir

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy took a veiled dig at the BRS leadership on Monday and said some have got assets worth thousands of crores though they claimed to have made sacrifices during the statehood agitation.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Indian Institute of Handloom Technology (IIHT) here which was attended by weavers, he praised the sacrifices of former minister Konda Laxman Bapuji who had quit his posts in support of Telangana statehood agitation.

Bapuji belonged to the weavers' community.

Bapuji had quit as MLA and minister in 1969 and vowed not to accept any post till Telangana statehood was achieved, Reddy said.

Indirectly referring to BRS leaders quitting their posts (as MLAs and others) during the Telangana agitation which led to byelections on several occasions, he said: "Some say quitting from posts, then forcing an election, making selection and collection is sacrifice. Telangana people have seen your election, selection, collection many times from 2001 to 2014".

"Those who did not even have rubber slippers (in the past) have now got (ownership of ) TVs, papers, farmhouses, bungalows, palaces in Jubilee Hills and farmhouses in 100s of acres in Gajwel. If you have made sacrifices, how did you get assets worth thousands of crores, unlike Konda Laxman Bapuji?," he asked.

Telangana society should know the difference between "your" (BRS) sacrifice and the sacrifice of Bapuji. They have been observing who got prosperity by forcing bypolls and making "selections and collections," he claimed and said, "So, the word sacrifice does not suit you." Bapuji had given a place to house the party office to BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao when the latter had started TRS in 2001, Reddy said.

He said he had sought the establishment of IIHT in Telangana after he became chief minister and that Union Minister Piyush Goyal had sanctioned the institute to the state without any political considerations.

The state government has decided to provide two sarees each to the 63 lakh members of women self-help groups (SHGs). This would ensure that the weavers in the state get the work of making 1.30 crore sarees, he said.

Referring to the request of some representatives of weavers for a loan waiver, the CM said the government would consider their request if the total amount is Rs 30 crore.