CM Revanth on controversial minority remarks

Hyderabad: On his previous day’s remarks regarding Muslims, Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy said his statements were “distorted.”

While campaigning for Naveen Yadav, the Congress candidate for the upcoming Jubilee Hills by-elections, the chief minister had said, “Congress hai toh musalman hai. Congress hai to aapki izzat hai. Jab congress nai hai, aap kuch bhi nai hai.”

His comments took a sharp turn with the main Opposition party, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president, KT Rama Rao (KTR), condemning the CM’s remarks, saying, “individuals and political parties should not be under the illusion that a person or a religion exists because of them”

On Wednesday, in yet another election campaign, CM Revanth reiterated his government’s commitment to minority welfare.

He accused the Modi government of “protecting KTR, KCR” involved in corruption cases and harassing Congress leaders through Income Tax, CBI, and ED raids. “It is now clear that KCR and Modi are on one side, and Rahul Gandhi and I are on the other. KCR has always supported Modi at the Centre. Now, the BJP is seeking votes in the name of BRS in the Jubilee Hills by-election,” he said.

Revanth also said that despite repeated requests, the Centre continues to ignore state government’s demand for a CBI inquiry into the alleged Rs 1 lakh crore irregularities in the Kaleshwaram project.

“He (PM Modi) has not permitted to arrest of KCR in the Kaleshwaram scam or KTR in the Formula E case. The same Union government that conducts raids on political rivals is shielding those who looted public money,” the chief minister said.

He took potshots at Union minister G Kishan Reddy’s criticism remarks of inducting former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin in the state Cabinet, asking, “Why is Kishan Reddy against Azharuddin’s appointment? Is it his personal fiefdom? What problem does he have with a minority leader becoming a minister?”