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Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s remarks against BJP’s ‘carpet bombing’ campaign for the Jubilee Hills bye-election has stirred a political row, with both Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the BJP claiming that it was an insult to India’s armed forces.
While campaigning for the upcoming bye-election in Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency on Friday, October 31, CM Revanth alluded to the BJP’s campaign in the constituency, which is being called a ‘carpet bombing’ campaign.
“Pakistan [crushed them] and they cannot bomb them, but BJP wants to do carpet bombing in Jubilee Hills,” Revanth said.
Calling the remarks objectionable and inflammatory, the Telangana unit of the BJP reportedly filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against CM Revanth on Saturday, November 1.
BJP MP G Kishan Reddy said Revanth’s remarks “casting doubts” on “surgical strikes” and Operation Sindoor by India’s armed forces is “demeaning” to the Indian armed forces and equivalent to “parroting” Pakistan’s narrative regarding the recent India-Pakistan cross-border conflicts.
“Repeated demeaning of our brave Indian Armed Forces to parroting the lines of an enemy nation–casting doubts on the surgical strikes to counting the strikes of Operation Sindoor–Congress continues to peddle the language and lies of Pakistan. Mr CM, the fact is Pakistan was hit deep inside their territory eliminating terrorists and 11 air bases destroyed,” Kishan Reddy said.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao also criticised CM Revanth’s remarks. “To insult the Indian Army merely for an election rally speech is a new low even by your low standards, Revanth Reddy,” KTR said.
During the campaign speech, CM Revanth had questioned if Kishan Reddy and another Union minister, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, brought any funds to the state. “They are shamelessly saying that they will carpet bomb Jubilee Hills. The BJP MPs are roaming around Jubilee Hills without asking for funds from PM Modi,” the CM said.
He also accused BRS and BJP of maintaining a “Fevicol bond,” alleging that they were acting in collusion.
Addressing a corner meeting at Vengal Rao Nagar, he said that the BJP leaders were maintaining secret relations with the BRS. The BJP’s victory from eight Lok Sabha seats in Telangana last year was evidence of this, he alleged.
Bye-election to the Jubilee Hills constituency is scheduled to be held on November 11. It was necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath of the BRS. The opposition party has fielded his wife, Maganti Sunitha.
The BJP has once again given a ticket to Lankala Deepak Reddy.
The Chief Minister lambasted KTR for not taking care of Jubilee Hills during his tenure as the Municipal Administration and Urban Development minister for 10 years.
The Chief Minister also questioned the BJP for raising objections to inducting Congress leader Mohammed Azharuddin as a Minister in his cabinet.
He promised to take the responsibility of the development of Jubilee Hills with the support of Azharuddin and Naveen Yadav after the bye-election.