Hyderabad: Calling for an unprecedented agitation against Leader of the Opposition, BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday launched a direct political offensive against KCR, urging Congress cadres to stage statewide protests demanding his resignation for allegedly staying away from public life and assembly proceedings for the past 1,000 days.Addressing a public meeting in Amberpet after inaugurating the Moosarambagh high-level bridge, Revanth said Congress workers, particularly youth, should organise protests and two-wheeler rallies at mandal and district headquarters from Sept 1 to 6. The programme will culminate in a massive protest at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park on Sept 6, a day before the commencement of the assembly’s monsoon session.Describing it as a first-of-its-kind protest against the failure of an opposition leader rather than a govt, Revanth accused KCR of drawing public money without discharging his responsibilities as LoP.“KCR has drawn over Rs 1.24 crore towards his salary and the govt has spent another Rs 21 crore towards his security, bullet-proof vehicles, among others, i.e. in all over Rs 22.24 crore on the LoP in the last 1,000 days of the Congress govt. But KCR has neither participated in a debate in the assembly nor has given a single day for the cause of women, farmers, the poor, SCs, STs and other sections. However, he has been visiting the sick party leaders in the hospitals and attending memorial meetings of departed relatives and party leaders,” Revanth said.Revanth challenged KCR to attend the upcoming assembly session and debate the performance of the Congress govt against the previous BRS regime‘s 10-year record.“This is a unique situation. Only in Telangana, a Leader of Opposition has failed. I have never misused my power unlike KCR who gave top posts in the govt to his family members and relatives, whereas I rendered social justice by giving cabinet berths and top party positions to SCs, STs BCs, women and minorities,” he claimed.“If KCR truly intends to do justice to Telangana and has any faith, he must attend the assembly session. IIf a govt employee fails to report for duty for a year, he or she is dismissed. Is there any other opposition leader in the country who has stayed away from the people for 1,000 days? KCR should resign immediately. The BRS leaders also sold blood of the party workers by organising blood donation camps in the party office,” Revanth alleged.Responding to BRS criticism of his govt‘s performance, the chief minister listed welfare schemes, development initiatives and reforms implemented during the Congress govt’s first 1,000 days and said there was no comparison between his administration and the previous BRS regime.“The KCR govt left behind Rs 8 lakh crore debt and my govt has overcome destruction of the state caused by previous BRS govt and has put Telangana on the wheels of progress and development. Between me and KCR, the difference would be what is between ‘nakkaku Nagalokaniki unna antha teda‘ (as different as chalk and cheese),” he claimed.The chief minister announced that TIMS hospitals at Sanathnagar, Alwal and LB Nagar would be named after former chief ministers Marri Chenna Reddy and T Anjaiah, and veteran leader Konda Laxman respectively. He said the Warangal super-speciality hospital would be named after Professor K Jayashankar.CM appeals to govt employees’ unionCM Revanth Reddy has appealed to govt employees’ unions to cooperate with the state, citing the state’s financial constraints. “When the Congress came into the power on Dec 7, 2023, the financial condition left behind by the previous BRS govt was so bad that even salaries of 11 lakh govt employees, contract and outsourcing staff could not be paid on the first of every month. We are paying Rs 7,500 crore per month towards debt servicing and yet paying salaries to the employees on the first of every month,” he said, referring to demands for PRC implementation and pending DA arrears.
