BRS seeks privilege motion against Telangana Congress govt for ‘inflating debt figures’

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) has demanded that the Congress government present accurate debt figures in the ongoing winter session of the Telangana Assembly or allow the privilege motion for debate.

KTR emphasized the necessity to preserve legislative traditions and cited a previous instance in which Speaker Nandendla Manohar had approved a similar motion against then-Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy in the former Andhra Pradesh.

KTR accuses Congress of inflating data

On Monday, the BRS Legislative Party appealed to the Speaker Gaddam Prasad to grant a privilege motion against Finance Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, for allegedly giving false information on Telangana's debt and damaging the image of the former BRS government.

In contrast to the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) report, which said that the outstanding obligations were Rs 3.89 lakh crore, KTR accused the Congress government of inflating the debt statistics to Rs 7 lakh crores. Citing the RBI Handbook of Statistics on Indian States, he claimed that the Finance Minister had made exaggerated claims that deceived the Assembly and Telangana residents.

Speaking to media persons, the BRS working president said that the Congress leaders, including Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues, are blaming BRS for their ‘incapacity to manage the government through reckless remarks.’

The public is also being misled by them about paying Rs 6,500 crores a month in interest on loans taken out under the BRS regime. "It is evident from the RBI report that they are paying approximately Rs 22,000 crores annually in interest on loans," he said.

‘Congress ignoring pressing issues’

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress government for ignoring pressing issues like the imprisonment of Lagacherla farmers, KTR criticised the government for prioritising a short discussion on the new tourism policy in the Assembly. He urged a prompt discussion of the issue, emphasizing its importance given that it took place in Vikarabad, the Speaker's home district.

Taking a jab at the government, KTR said that the Congress government would find tourism a significant topic given their recent promotion of "Delhi Tourism" and "Jail Tourism." Even though CM Revanth Reddy and his ministers have made more than 100 trips to Delhi and promoted Delhi Tourism, they are also promoting "Jail Tourism" by locking up opposition leaders, social media activists, and Lagacherla farmers, he said. Most recently, they even detained an actor in jail after which the High Court granted him bail he said and denounced the Chief Minister's ‘overt threat to put people in jail for criticizing government programs.’

BRS to hold statewide protest against the oppression of Lagacherla farmers

BRS will stage statewide demonstrations against the Congress government's harsh, cruel, and dictatorial treatment of farmers in Lagacherla on Tuesday at 11 am, KTR said. He accused the Congress government of using third-degree tactics, filing false accusations, holding farmers in custody, and even handcuffing them after one of them suffered a heart attack.

The BRS working president also called for the release of the farmers who were being held and the prompt withdrawal of all cases. As part of the demonstration, petitions calling for accountability from the Congress government and drawing attention to the claimed injustice would be submitted to Dr BR Ambedkar's idols in each constituency, he said.