High drama prevailed at the Press Club of Hyderabad today when the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president, K. T. Rama Rao, accompanied by a large number of party leaders, arrived for a public debate on the omissions and commissions of the Congress government.
A significant number of police personnel were deployed at the venue to prevent any untoward incident.
In response to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy’s challenge for a debate, the opposition leader reached the venue, expecting either the Chief Minister himself or members of his Cabinet to attend. A few days ago, KTR had asked Revanth Reddy to choose any of six venues in the city, including the Press Club.
Congress and BRS leaders have been engaged in a bitter war of words over the alleged plight of farmers in the state, the unfulfilled promises of the ruling party, and its perceived inept handling of the dispute with neighbouring Andhra Pradesh over river water allocation.
The BRS leaders raised slogans such as “Rythula pakshana charchaku memochhinam, Revanth meerekkada?” (We have come for a debate on behalf of farmers – where are you, Mr Revanth?).
After waiting for some time, KTR addressed the media and alleged that the Congress government had failed to fulfil any of the promises or guarantees it had made, either fully or partially, during the last 19 months.
The opposition leader pointed out that even in the Chief Minister’s Kodangal constituency, several farmers had not received the recent instalment of ‘Rythu Bharosa’ investment support.
He said he had come armed with a list of 670 farmers from Kodangal who had not received the financial assistance. He claimed every section of society had been betrayed by the Congress, which had made countless promises.
He further alleged that the Chief Minister had become so insecure that he was sending young people to jail simply for demanding jobs or posting criticism on social media.
Former minister Prashanth Reddy remarked that neither the Chief Minister nor any of his responsible representatives had turned up for the debate, which was originally proposed by Revanth Reddy himself at a recent public meeting held in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The BRS leaders observed a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for over 600 farmers who have allegedly ended their lives due to distress since the Congress came to power in December 2023.
Follow us
