Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday, February 1, said that India needs to rewrite its Constitution to fulfil people's expectations and to ensure that the country progresses to its full potential. Alleging that both the Congress and the BJP have miserably failed in addressing the basic needs of people in the last 75 years, he called for a qualitative change in the country and declared that he would contribute in whatever manner possible to bring the change.
When asked if “change” means removal of BJP from the Union government, CM KCR said, “Nothing will change in this present setup. We need to draft a new Constitution of India … So many nations, whenever they felt it is necessary, they have rewritten their constitutions, they have brought in new constitutions. Now there is a need in this country to pursue a constitution of India. New thinking, new direction, new constitution. This will be our slogan. You wait and see.”
At a marathon news conference here, the Chief Minister announced that a meeting of retired IAS, IPS, and IFS officers will be held in Hyderabad soon to discuss the new agenda for the country. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief said he would visit Mumbai in a couple of days to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to discuss his plans. He also hinted at meetings with several other leaders including his West Bengal and Odisha counterparts, Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik, respectively.
“There is a need for major change in this country. We will definitely start in a few days. We fought for Telangana too, similarly we will fight now,” he said. “I am talking to people. Indians need to wake up, youth need to wake up. These fake talks and talk of religion which instigate riots might make you happy for a day or two but can’t fix our problems, can’t bring development in the country … It’s time for a big change, for a revolution in the country. Towards that change, as KCR, as a son of this country, I will definitely fulfil my responsibility. How will that look? I am talking to many people in the country, and in a few days we will announce the policy. A new agenda needs to be set for India after 75 years. Our financial situation is shameful,” he said, while heavily criticising the Union Budget.
KCR also called for uprooting the BJP from the Union government and "throwing it into the Bay of Bengal". "Unless it is done, this country can't progress," he said slamming the BJP for what he called spoiling the country by dividing people in the name of religion.
"Shortly, we will start working for the country. We will tell the country how the change can be brought. It is time for the country to react and liberate itself from senseless parties and leaders,” he said.
KCR also said that the policy of both the BJP and Congress is unitary, which is not good and desirable for Indian democracy.
"In fact, as maturity level increases in a democracy, more powers should be delegated to states but the reverse is happening in the country," he said. "The Union government has miserably failed in maintaining cooperative federalism. These fellows (BJP) have doubled stealing away powers of the states," he added.
KCR termed the BJP government's call of 'one nation one registration' and the move to take over powers relating to postings of IAS and IPS officers a conspiracy against the states. During his more than two-hour-long news conference, the TRS leader repeatedly referred to Telangana's achievements in the last seven years and projected it as a model for the entire country.
Replying to a query, KCR did not agree that ensuing elections to five states are the semi-final for 2024 Lok Sabha polls. He said that the BJP may retain power in Uttar Pradesh but its tally will come down and this would be the beginning of the BJP's defeat in 2024. "BJP may win in UP through shameless ways. It will become arrogant and commit mistakes which will be good for the country as this will be the beginning of their defeat in 2024," he said.
On the AIMIM contesting the UP elections, KCR said there was nothing wrong in it. According to him, after the death of Ibrahim Suleman Sait of the Indian Union Muslim League, AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi was trying to become the face of Indian Muslims. "He has no other agenda. He is our brother, our soldier, a son of Telangana. His party has already won a few seats in Bihar and Maharashtra. Let him contest, what is wrong in it," KCR said.
With IANS inputs