Whose money is it?

​Hyderabad: Launching a broadside against Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, Telangana Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday accused the Chief Minister of misusing huge public money in constructing a palatial bungalow on a prime land worth Rs 500 crore to live a luxurious life.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan here, Uttam said as main Opposition party the Congress has a responsibility to keep a check on whether the state government was using the public money in an appropriate manner. The Congress will not allow KCR to misuse the public wealth.

He said the Chief Minister was exhibiting feudalistic tendencies. No other leader including the Prime Minister has a house in an area of about one lakh sq feet costing over Rs 50 crore. KCR should clarify whether Pragathi Bhavan has bulletproof bathrooms and bedrooms, he said. "Common people have no access to Pragathi Bhavan. Even ministers and TRS MLAs find it difficult to get an appointment. But it is always open for contractors and other such people," he alleged.

Uttam further said, "Family members of KCR are travelling in cars worth over Rs 1 crore each. KCR took a private jet to attend a marriage in Kerala. He is also engaging a chartered plane to visit Kolkata and other places to pursue his political ambitions. Congress party will not tolerate this criminal wastage of tax payers' money. Telangana is not KCR's jagir (fiefdom)," he said.

Refuting the allegations of corruption against him by the CM, he said, "As a fighter pilot of Indian Air Force (IAF) I had served the country for several years. I worked in Rashtrapati Bhavan and had the privilege of serving two Presidents. I had quit a lucrative job to join politics only to serve people.

My wife (Padmavathi Reddy) and me are MLAs and we have been practising clean politics. We have no children and have dedicated our entire lives for the service of the people. Therefore, in terms of dedication towards the nation and people, KCR comes nowhere closer to me. I don't indulge in politics of cheating, lies and deception,” he said.

Uttam said that KCR had claimed during the statehood movement that his children live in the US and they would not get involved in politics. However, now his entire family, including son, daughter and nephew, have captured the top positions and indulging in largescale corruption, he said.

Stating that the Congress has never opposed the Kaleshwaram project, he said his party only wanted the Pranahita Chevella project to be completed first and objected to the removal of name of Dr BR Ambedkar from the project. He said the TRS government has redesigned the project only to escalate the costs and get more commission.

Accusing KCR of displaying too much arrogance of power, Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Chief Minister had pushed the Telangana state into a huge debt trap with his wrong policies and now trying to bash anyone who is pointing out his mistakes. He also ridiculed KCR's Federal Front plans and said the Chief Minister lacks basic knowledge to speak on national and global issues.

"Anyway, TRS is not going to win a single Lok Sabha seat in the next elections. Therefore, KCR's Federal Front will have no relevance at all," he said, adding that the Federal Front talk was only aimed at diverting attention from his failures. The Congress chief slammed the Chief Minister for not speaking on the issue of unemployment during the TRS plenary session.

He said the TRS government had failed to fill even the existing vacancies. Similarly, he said KCR was silent on farmers' suicides. "As against the promise of giving 12 per cent quota to the Muslims within four months after coming to power, the TRS government did not fulfil the promise even after four years. KCR has no moral right to seek votes from the Muslims," he said.