KTR threatens to book those slandering CM KCR under sedition

TRS working president and Minister of Urban Development, KT Rama Rao, in an obvious reference to Telangana Congress president and Malkajgiri MP Revanth Reddy, threatened to book sedition cases against those who slander Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. KT Rama Rao made the statement on Saturday, September 18. A day earlier, Revanth Reddy called KCR an “ambassador of drunkards”, and his son KTR, the “ambassador of drug addicts”. Earlier too, KTR had threatened to arrest Revanth Reddy, similar to how the Maharashtra government arrested Union Minister Narayan Rane.

Calling Revanth Reddy a “buffoon” for linking him to the drugs case, KTR said that the Malkajgiri MP should stop making false allegations. “We will start booking people against anyone making derogatory remarks and false allegations. A sedition case will be booked, if needed. We also have our limits. Once we reach our saturation our people are also likely to react and speak in their language,” KTR said. The minister made these statements while having an interaction with reporters. KTR said that he is willing to give his blood samples for the drug test to prove his innocence and asked whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi would do the same.

The drugs case refers to one from 2017, where several Telugu actors like Rana Daggubati, Ravi Teja, Rakul Preet Singh, Navdeep, Charmme, Mumaith Khan and others were investigated by the Special Investigation Team, for their alleged role in drug trafficking and consumption. However, the SIT did not file a chargesheet against them, and it was understood that they were let off. But the Enforcement Directorate has reopened the case recently and is re-investigating it.

On Friday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on the occasion of Hyderabad state’s annexation with the Indian Union, which the BJP observes as ‘Telangana Liberation Day’, visited Telangana’s Nirmal district. Shah said that September 17 will be officially observed as ‘Telangana Liberation Day’ after the BJP comes to power in Telangana. 

The BJP has been demanding that the government officially celebrate September 17 as Telangana Liberation Day for a long time. The demand has been rejected by governments in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh as well as the TRS government in Telangana, on the grounds that it could lead to communal tension. 

Responding to this, KTR said, “For us, the day Telangana separated from Andhra Pradesh is Liberation Day. As a party we celebrated it yesterday, but as a government we will not. The BJP hopes to target one particular community and we will not support any such efforts.”

On September 17, 1948, the then Hyderabad state was merged with the Indian Union. Under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel, Hyderabad state was annexed through a military operation known as 'Operation Polo’ or ‘police action’, by wresting power from the last Nizam of the princely state Mir Osman Ali Khan. In 2014, Telangana state was created after bifurcating the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.