Dattatreya chides KTR for his remarks

Hyderabad: Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Secunderabad MP Bandaru Dattatreya asked Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president KT Rama Rao to check his facts before criticising him for not doing anything during his tenure as Secunderabad MP.

Addressing media here on Saturday, he said it was during his tenure as an MP that MMTS project was initiated. "I had met the then Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for the allocation of funds to get the Hyderabad Metro Rail project to come to the State. However, its implementation was neglected for 10 years during the UPA government," he said.

Dattatreya alleged that the project was further delayed for three years after the TRS had come to power as it wanted to commercialise it. He asked Rama Rao to spell out the reason for the delay of three years in the implementation of the Hyderabad Metro Rail Project as well as its expansion.

Similarly, the credit for bringing Krishna River water to Hyderabad goes to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Also, it was the Vajpayee's government which had responded positively for the clearing of river Musi due to his efforts, he reminded. That part, construction of about 8,000 houses for the poor was taken up under the Valmiki Ambedkar Awas Yojana when he was an MP, he clarified.

Contrary to this the TRS has promised to bring river Godavari water to Hyderabad. But it remains a pipe dream till date, he said. Taking a dig at the TRS and TDP, the BJP leader said former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao had started the Telugu Desam Party to end the Congress misrule and to give corruption free governance to the people.

However, contrary to NTR's dream, under N Chandrababu Naidu the TDP party has become a tool to achieve interests of a few and to be in power. It was for this reason that the TDP has lost its existence in Telangana. Similarly, the TRS is also following the footsteps of the TDP and it will not survive and fall apart if it fails to be in power, he pointed out.

Further, in the name of regional interest, Dattatreya said, "looting of wealth should not be allowed by a few and the social justice and equity among different sections in the society should be maintained," he added. The BJP leader also criticised the TRS and its leadership for stoking passions in the name of regional interests and insulting the patriotic spirit and nationalist outlook.

He said, "India is a union and national interest and integrity are paramount and the regional parties suffer in having such a national outlook due to their selfish interests." He said being a political party, the TRS should spell out its stand on the construction of Ram Temple at Ayodhya, which reflects the wishes of crores of people.

But the Congress has always distanced itself from taking a stand as part of its appeasement politics towards Muslims. And, all those who have refused to respect what is integral to the cultural heritage of the country have lost their significance across the country.

Now, TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao is also following the same policy and following the footsteps of the Congress, he pointed out. Refuting the allegation that construction of Ram Temple is only an election plank for BJP, he said the party has made its stand clear on the issue, irrespective of the electoral politics, he said.