Congress asks SEC to remove TRS ads from metro rail pillars

"The TRS party has put up advertisements on all pillars of L&T metro rail for the upcoming GHMC elections. L&T metro rail is a public-private partnership firm built from state and central government funding. There is government shareholding in L&T metro rail company. The Government of India has also given viability gap funding of over Rs 2,000 crores. The state government has given precious land for L&T metro rail. Also, the TRS party has put up advertisements on RTC bus shelters, public toilets etc," said Uttam Kumar Reddy said in his complaint with State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarthy.

He was accompanied by senior leaders including MLC Jeevan Reddy, Hyderabad City President M. Anjan Kumar Yadav, TPCC General Secretary G. Niranjan and others.

Speaking to media persons later Uttam Kumar Reddy said that there was an established norm that no advertisements of political parties should be put up on govt/semi-govt properties during election campaigning. "We request that the SEC issues an order for removal of TRS party advertisements on L&T metro rail pillars, RTC bus shelters, public toilets, etc. This is a clear breach of the code of conduct. We demanded that the SEC take action against the TRS party," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also alleged that the BJP and MIM were working together to polarise the voters on religious lines during the GHMC elections. "The BJP government has done nothing for Hyderabad. Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR), which was sanctioned by the last Congress-led UPA government, was canceled by the present BJP Govt at the Centre. The ITIR project involved an investment of Rs. 2.5 lakh crore and would have provided 50 lakh direct and indirect jobs. Let the BJP leaders, especially Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy, explain as to why ITIR did not take shape and why it got canceled," he asked.

The TPCC chief described BJP and MIM as two sides of the same coin. He said both the parties want to create a communal divide in the society on communal lines. Citing an example, he said MIM has helped BJP come to power in Bihar Assembly elections. "Everyone knows that if there was no MIM, RJD-led Mahagatbandhan would have come to power in Bihar. Despite making claims that it protects the interest of Muslims, MIM is strengthening the BJP at all levels," he alleged.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Hyderabad witnessed development only during the Congress regimes. He said that the Congress party had spent over Rs 1 lakh crore during 2004-2014 for the development of Hyderabad. The new International Airport, Outer Ring Road, PVNR Expressway, Metro Rail, drinking water from Krishna and Godavari rivers and several other projects were started and also completed during the previous Congress regime. He said that it was the Congress government that turned Hyderabad into an I-T and Pharma Hub. He alleged that the TRS party only indulged in corruption and focussed on projects that could bring huge kickbacks and commissions. Therefore, he said that no development took place under TRS rule and it even failed to maintain the infrastructure created by the previous Congress government.

He said that the Congress party was contesting the GHMC elections with the slogan: 'Reject communal BJP-MIM, Reject corrupt TRS and vote for Congress for development'. He said that the Congress party also promotes communal harmony, peace and brotherhood, and therefore, the people should vote for Congress candidates to ensure development of Hyderabad.