Slugfest over Rajiv statue turns bitter

Hyderabad: The installation of the statue of Rajiv Gandhi near the state Secretariat has intensified the slugfest between the Congress party and the BRS. While BRS working president K T Rama Rao reiterated that they would remove the statue when they return to power, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy challenged them to try and do so.

Even the farmhouses in which they feel safe would not be spared in the coming days, he said.

Addressing the gathering after unveiling the statue, Revanth Reddy dwelt in detail as to why the government has decided to install the statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

He said from the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru to Rajiv Gandhi the family had strived to develop the state unlike “KCR’s power-thirsty family”. He said the Gandhi family had made several sacrifices and laid down their lives for the country.

Referring to the contribution of various reforms brought in by Rajiv Gandhi, including the IT revolution, Revanth said, “But for that, KTR would have been selling idlis in Guntur or chai samosa in some railway station. He should be grateful to Rajiv Gandhi that because of his vision of Rajiv Gandhi, he could become IT minister.”

Revanth said while Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi were assassinated by anti-Indian forces, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi did not accept any post though they could have become Prime Minister of the country. He said the BRS was upset because they wanted to reserve the spot for KCR’s statue and that is why during their ten-year rule they deliberately did not install the Telangana Talli statue. He said BRS which constructed the Secretariat and installed Ambedkar’s statue in record time did not install the Telangana Talli statue and is now giving weird explanations.

The CM said the time has come to remove weeds from state politics. He said BRS has no moral right to speak about Gandhi family. “My elders used to say that donkeys won’t understand the value of sandalwood,” he quipped.