TRS leaders accompany Yashwant Sinha filing nominations as Prez candidate

New Delhi: TRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday extended support to the Opposition parties' Presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha. KT Rama Rao said a decision to this effect was taken due to multiple reasons especially to end the dictatorial and authoritarian policies of the BJP government at the Centre. He felt that the Modi government took a series of undemocratic decisions which resulted in injustice to the people.

Speaking to media persons after accompanying Yashwant Sinha for filing the nominations at the National Capital, KTR recalled that in the last eight years, the BJP had toppled the democratically elected governments in eight States and formed its governments despite not having majority.

He stated that there is no doubt that the BJP has taken every opportunity that comes its way in this regard.

"The BJP has been misusing the Central agencies to create a disturbance among the Opposition parties and harass or lure their leaders, to pursue its political interests. Every party that believes in democracy needs to oppose these actions. Hence, the TRS has rejected the BJP's Presidential candidate and extending support to the Opposition parties' candidate Yashwant Sinha," he said.

However, he made it clear that there was no personal animosity or opposition to Draupadi Murmu, the BJP Presidential candidate nominated by the ruling NDA coalition.

The Minister made light of the BJP's argument to support a tribal candidate for the Presidential post and stated that the BJP had no concern for tribals or their development. He reminded that it has been four years since the Telangana State Assembly passed a unanimous resolution and sent it to the Union government requesting to enhance the reservations for tribals in Telangana as per the increased population, but there has been no response till date.

"If the BJP has any affection and love left for the tribals, they must prove it by approving the enhancement of reservation for tribals. The Union government is not ready to respond on the issue even after our TRS MPs staged protests inside the Parliament. The promise to set up a tribal university in Telangana under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, has remained a non-starter," Rama Rao said, slamming the BJP for it's indifference towards tribals.

He stated that the BJP had done a grave injustice to tribals by merging seven mandals of Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh and forcing them to relocate by causing submergence of these mandals. He said the people especially tribals of the country are fully aware of the vote bank politics of the BJP.

Along with KT Rama Rao, TRS Lok Sabha floor leader Nama Nageshwara Rao, MPs Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, G Ranjith Reddy, J Santosh Kumar and others accompanied Yashwant Sinha while he filed the nominations and extended support on behalf of the TRS party.

Earlier in the day, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Monday slammed at the BJP government at the Centre for creating trouble in Opposition-ruled States and stated that Telangana will raise its voice against Centre's dictatorship in the coming days.

Addressing the media over the political situation in Maharashtra, KTR said, "Since the time Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, his party has toppled at least eight governments and have forcefully formed their own without even having the mandate in place."

"They have trampled upon democracy be it is in the state of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh or Goa. They dislodged the governments which were formed because of the mandate of the people," KTR said.

"The Central government has abused every constitutional authority and position in place and they have been doing what they feel like," the Telangana IT Minister further added.

Talking about taking on the BJP-led government, KTR said that soon there will be a voice rising against his dictatorship.

"Voice needs to be raised against them and their dictatorial attitude. Hopefully, the voice will be raised from Telangana," said KTR.

KTR's comments came in the midst of the Maharashtra political crisis; two factions of the Shiv Sena one being led by Uddhav Thackeray and the other by rebel Eknath Shinde.

Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance has lost the majority in the house as 38 of the members of the Shiv Sena Legislature Party have withdrawn their support thus bringing it below the majority in the house, said Maharashtra Minister Eknath Shinde in his petition filed in Supreme Court.

Amid the political crisis in Maharashtra triggered by a rebellion by a large section of Shiv Sena MLAs, who are currently camping in Assam, Eknath Shinde has approached the Supreme Court against the disqualification notices issued by the Deputy Speaker against rebel MLAs.