KTR Has No Stature to Comment on Rahul Gandhi’s Yatra: Congress

Hyderabad, Oct.8 (NSS): Former Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir slammed TRS Working President K. Tarakarama Rao for his criticism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra and said KTR had no stature to speak about a leader who is trying to unite the country.

Speaking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan on Saturday, Shabbir Ali said KTR or other TRS leaders could never understand the essence and importance of the Bharat Jodo Yatra which is aimed at protecting the nation from the dangers of politics of hatred and division.

“KTR is neither capable of sensing the dangers of divisive politics nor he understands the importance of unity against communal forces. TRS leaders cannot think beyond elections and defections,” he alleged.

When asked for a reaction on KTR’s allegation of the BJP Govt at the Centre tapping his phone, Shabbir Ali said TRS was tasting the same medicine that it served to opposition leaders in Telangana. “TRS Govt resorted to illegal phone tapping and spied on the activities of opposition leaders, especially those belonging to the Congress party.

The situation was so bad that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao kept a strict vigil on TRS leaders including some Ministers. When I tried to call some ministers to make representation on public issues, they did not pick up my phone. When I complained to them about it in person, they told me that they were being watched by CM KCR and all their phones were being tapped,” he alleged.

Shabbir Ali said it sounds ridiculous when KTR complains about phone tapping by the BJP Govt at the Centre through Pegasus software. He said TRS remained a mute spectator when Congress lodged a strong protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP Govt at the Centre on the Pegasus issue. TRS openly backed the BJP Govt when the entire opposition objected to illegal phone tapping and today KTR is wrongly trying to play the victim card, he said.

The Congress leader said it was CM KCR who ridiculed democracy and disrespected the Constitution by engineering defections at a huge scale in Telangana. Right from MPs to Sarpanches, KCR made hundreds of elected representatives defect to TRS for money, posts, and other benefits.

In fact, BJP got inspiration from TRS in making elected representatives switch loyalties. Today, both parties are surviving due to the defectors. He said a majority of ministers in the KCR cabinet do not belong to the original TRS and they came from either Congress or TDP. Therefore, he said Minister KTR or even CM KCR should restrain from talking about moral-based politics.

“PM Modi is ruling like a Sultan (monarch) in Delhi and KCR is behaving like the Sultan of Telangana,” he alleged.

Replying to a question on RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat’s visit to a mosque and Madrasa, Shabbir Ali said RSS leaders could not be trusted. All citizens, irrespective of their religion or caste, have equal rights and powers as per the Constitution of India. However, RSS promotes hatred and division among people based on their religion. Sometimes it enacts dramas to divert people’s attention from real issues, he said.

Earlier in the day, Shabbir Ali also addressed a meeting attended by AICC Presidential candidate Mallikarjun Kharge at Gandhi Bhavan. Addressing the meeting, Shabbir Ali said Kharge hails from Gulbarga and had studied in Hyderabad. Therefore, he enjoys close relations with Telangana Congress leaders. He hoped that almost all TPCC delegates would vote for Kharge to elect him as the new AICC President. (NSS)

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