Rahul's visit politically motivated: MLC K Kavitha

Nizamabad: After Osmania University declined permission to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to conduct a physical interaction with the students, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader and MLC K Kavitha on Wednesday slammed the former Congress chief, saying that he is only coming to the state for politics.

Addressing a press conference here, Kavitha said, "Congress leader Rahul Gandhi never talked in favour of Telangana. I do not know why he is coming to Warangal and Osmania University now." She also said that the Congress leader has never talked in favour of Telangana, even when the TRS requested him to raise the paddy crop issue in the Parliament.

"During the paddy crop issue, we urged him (Rahul Gandhi) to raise the issue in Parliament and to support the farmers of Telangana but he did not. But now he is planning something in Warangal, coming here to do politics only," Kavitha said.

The vice-chancellor of Osmania University reiterated that he will not allow Rahul Gandhi to conduct a physical interaction with the students in the university premises after Telangana High Court asked him to take a decision on the matter.

"Our decision not to allow Rahul Gandhi into University premises will be the same. He will not be allowed to conduct any face-to-face interaction with students. The decision taken earlier will be the same," VC Ravinder Yadav had said.

In the plea filed by some students seeking a direction to the Vice-Chancellor to accord permission for Rahul Gandhi's event, Telangana High Court asked the VC to consider the plea of students and take a decision.

Earlier on Monday, Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy said that Rahul Gandhi will meet the members of the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) in the Chanchalguda jail who were detained for staging a protest outside the administration building of Osmania University in Hyderabad.

The NSUI members protested outside the University seeking permission for Rahul Gandhi's visit to the campus on May 7, following which the police detained them and registered a case for 'obstructing the public servant in conducting their duty'.

On Sunday, Ramesh Naik, Circle Inspector said that 18 people who were protesting were taken into custody.

"Eighteen people who were protesting in the administration's building have been taken into custody. When we tried to stop the agitators, they pushed our staff including lady constables. Agitators pelted stones to break the glasses on the window and went inside the building. A case has been registered under obstructing the public servant in conducting their duty," said Ramesh Naik, Circle Inspector.

Rahul Gandhi will visit Telangana for a two-day visit on May 6 and 7.

Earlier in the day,TRS leader and MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha on Wednesday came down heavily on BJP-led Central government. Addressing a press conference, Kavitha alleged that there has ne no financial assistance from the Central government. She lamented the attitude of Central government over paddy procurement in Telangana. She said that MP Arvind has failed to allocate funds for his own constituency. She questioned him over the proposed Turmeric Board in the State. She said that the funds that was brought by the MP Arvind doesn't even come for any basic needs of farmers in Nizamabad. She also slammed State BJP chief for unnecessarily hold Praja Sangrama Yatra which doesn't do good for people but only political mileage for BJP.

On Tuesday, Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao came down heavily on BJP leaders, accusing him of spreading misinformation to denigrate the image of the TRS government. Speaking to media persons in Hanumakonda on Tuesday, the Minister wondered whether there was any use with the four BJP Lok Sabha members as they did nothing for the State.

The BJP MPs especially the State president Bandi Sanjay need to accept that Telangana has made strides on all fronts. "All the top 10 villages selected as Adarsh Villages under the Saansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY), Union Ministry of Rural Development, are from Telangana. In fact, 19 of the top 20 villages are from Telangana," Errabelli said. This apart, Telangana also topped the chart in ODF, sanitation, drinking water supply under Mission Bhagiratha. Telangana also stood first in conducting 100 per cent audits of the local bodies, and declared as the 'National Lead State' by the Central Government for the second consecutive year, the minister said.

The BJP-led Central government which recognized the rapid development in Telangana didn't give incentives to the State, he said, criticising Bandi Sanjay for not fighting for the cause of the region. "If Bandi Sanjay has any concern towards the poor, he has to ask the Centre to increase the funding to NREGS. The BJP MPs also need to ask their high command about the assurances given to Telangana under the AP Reorganisation Act-2014. "Why don't the BJP MPs fight for national status to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP)? The MPs have to lobby for the justifiable share in the Krishna and Godavari waters," Errabelli said.