On Diksha Divas, BRS Working President KTR slammed the Congress as Telangana’s ‘permanent villain,’ attributing the state’s existence to KCR’s 2009 fast. He vowed to replace a Rajiv Gandhi statue and criticised a new land policy as a major scam.
Marking Diksha Divas, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) commemorated the anniversary of KCR’s 2009 fast-unto-death, which played a pivotal role in the Telangana movement. KTR criticised the Congress party, calling it the “permanent villain” in Telangana’s story and accusing it of ‘betraying’ the state’s people. He emphasised that without KCR’s efforts, Telangana would not exist today. KTR recalled the sacrifices made by the people of Telangana and the injustices committed by the Congress regime over six decades.
BRS vows to replace Rajiv Gandhi statue with Telangana Talli
He announced that the BRS would replace the Rajiv Gandhi statue at the Secretariat entrance with the statue of Telangana Talli, symbolising the restoration of Telangana’s pride. He said the struggle for Telangana was “not just history but an identity that must be protected every single day.”
‘Congress is permanent villain with blood on its hands’
KTR launched a scathing attack on the Congress leadership, alleging that the party had no moral authority to comment on K Chandrashekar Rao’s (KCR) 2009 fast. “During the movement, no one knew where the PCC chief was. Today he speaks recklessly about KCR’s fast,” he said.
He reminded that both the Union government and the then state Congress leadership had urged KCR to withdraw the fast due to its political impact.
Calling the Congress the “permanent villain” in Telangana’s history, he said the party’s leadership had “blood on its hands” for the deaths of youth during the agitation. He asserted, “Without the three letters K-C-R, there would be no Telangana.”
KTR also challenged the ruling party to make the MLAs who defected to Congress resign and seek a fresh mandate.
Significance of Diksha Divas
On the significance of Diksha Divas, KTR said the day represented a collective reaffirmation of the sacrifices of martyrs and lakhs of people who were part of the movement.
He told the BRS had thanked Sonia Gandhi out of courtesy after the formation of Telangana, but “never called her a ‘Bali Devatha’,” taking a swipe at Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. “Insult us if you want, but do not insult Telangana,” he said.
Renewing the BRS’s criticism of Congress for “diluting” Telangana’s identity, KTR announced that the party would replace the Rajiv Gandhi statue at the Secretariat entrance with a statue of Telangana Talli if voted back to power.
Describing KCR’s 2009 fast as a defining moment in democratic protest movements, KTR compared it to the turning points of India’s freedom struggle. He said the fast had energised all sections of society, turning the Telangana agitation into an unstoppable force.
He recalled that BRS MLAs repeatedly resigned for the cause, while accusing Congress leaders of prioritising their positions.
KTR said Diksha Divas should be observed with the same spirit as major festivals like Dussehra, symbolising the victory of justice. He urged people to remember the injustices and unfulfilled promises endured over the past six decades.
Invoking Telangana’s historical icons — including Rani Rudrama Devi, Sammakka-Saralamma, Komuram Bheem and Chakali Ailamma — he called for resistance against “Delhi’s feudal mindset.”
He asserted that BRS, which emerged from the Telangana movement, remains the only party capable of protecting the state’s interests. “Even in silence, KCR shakes politics. Telangana will rise again with his voice,” he said.
Alleges ‘India’s biggest land scam’ over HILTP policy
Meanwhile, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao on November 21 alleged that the Congress-led Telangana government’s newly announced Hyderabad Industrial Lands Transformation Policy (HILTP)-which seeks to convert industrial lands inside the Outer Ring Road (ORR) into multi-use zones-is a vehicle for what he termed “India’s biggest land scam” and demanded its “immediate withdrawal”. KTR claimed that the scam could result in a loss of up to Rs 5 lakh crore to the state’s exchequer. (ANI)
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