I am very much a native of Telangana: Sharmila

Banjara Hills: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy's daughter YS Sharmila on Wednesday stirred a political controversy by casting doubts on the 'nativity' of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and senior BJP leader Vijayashanthi who fought for Telangana statehood in the early 2000.

Announcing that she would launch a Padayatra in Telangana and also console the families of Telangana martyrs soon after the launch of the party, she said that no one can question her nativity as she was born and brought up in Hyderabad, studied in Hyderabad, was married to a man from Hyderabad and gave birth to her children in Hyderabad. She further said that even KCR and Vijayashanthi were not locals.

Tamil Nadu former Chief Minister Jayalaithaa was not local but she was adored by the entire state. Sharmila said she was pained to see how the government had ignored the people during Corona pandemic and unfortunately no political party dared question the government over its failure. That was the time when she thought of filling the political vacuum by launching a party, she added.

Replying to a question from students during an interaction with them on Wednesday at Lotus Pond, she said that she did not understand why she was not given any position by the YSRCP government. She said there was difference of opinion between her and her brother Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, but otherwise they were one as a family. She said she was interacting with various sections of people to understand the ground-level political situation and the aspirations of the people in Telangana. She added that her mother Y S Vijayamma was supporting her in her new journey. Sharmila also said that she was not anybody's arrow as was being claimed by some political parties.

She emphasised that the government had filed in fulfilling the aspirations of Telangana youth. She said that YSR launched fee reimbursement for poor students and Arogya Sri to address the medical needs of the needy, but the TS government was not implementing these two schemes in true spirit. Her father had established universities in every district to provide higher education for all, she added.

Sharmila made it clear that the interests of the state would be of prime importance to her. She would even oppose her brother when it comes to issues like sharing of water and other such issues and would take up agitations to protect the interests of the peopls of the state.