KTR challenges Naidu

Attempting to put Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on the back foot, Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLA K Taraka Rama Rao on Thursday challenged to him discuss the separate Telangana statehood issue during the party’s forthcoming annual conclave ‘Mahanadu’, scheduled to start from May 27.

Talking to media persons at Telangana Bhavan, the TRS leader demanded that Mr Naidu make his stand clear on Telangana at the Mahanadu by discussing it during the three-day event, to be held at Gandipet. “If he has any guts, Mr Naidu should hold discussions on Telangana during the party’s annual Mahanadu and make his stand clear on Telangana instead of adopting an ambivalent stand,” he dared.

KTR further said that, “not only the common man in Telangana, even the members of the TDP Telangana Forum are not willing to believe Mr Chandrababu Naidu.” The Sircilla MLA alleged that ‘Telangana Ranabheri’ organized by TD Telangana Forum members was only organised to target Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao and Telangana Political Joint Action Committee convenor Prof Kodandaram.

KTR further ‘advised’ the Forum members to submit their resignations from their elected posts for the cause of Telangana without any pre-conditions. To further emphasise his point, KTR pointed out that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLAs, who had resigned from their elected posts, were elected by Telangana people for the second time in the by-elections.

“If you have any real will towards Telangana, you better resign from your elected posts without any pre-conditions and the people of the region will definitely repose their confidence in you,” he stated. KTR also invited suspended TDP MLA Nagam Janardhan Reddy to join hands with Telangana Rashtra Samithi. “Mr Janardhan Reddy should join hands with leaders from other parties to fight for Telangana,” he stated.

KTR also condemned Forum MLA Revanth Reddy for carrying guns to the Telangana Ranabheri. He demanded that the government immediately arrest Mr Revanth Reddy for threatening people with guns and cancel his Arms Licence.