Hyderabad: Leaders from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) expressed strong opposition on Monday to the placement of a statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in front of the Telangana Secretariat. They stated that this act insults “Telangana Talli,” the symbolic mother of Telangana. The BRS leaders promised that, should they return to power, they would relocate the statue to Gandhi Bhavan with full honors.
According to the BRS, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) had originally planned to have a statue of Telangana Talli in front of the Secretariat. Designs for the statue were reportedly finalized by June 2023. In response to the installation of Rajiv Gandhi’s statue, the BRS has called for a symbolic protest. Party leaders have asked their supporters to perform a “milk bath” ritual (palabhishekam) on the Telangana Talli statues across the state on Tuesday.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) expressed his outrage over the installation. He criticized Revanth Reddy, the President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), accusing him of sacrificing Telangana’s identity to please leaders in Delhi. KTR stated that the BRS will move the Rajiv Gandhi statue to Gandhi Bhavan with full respect once the party is back in power. “Revanth Reddy has mortgaged Telangana’s soul to please Delhi bosses. This is a shameful act that undermines Telangana’s identity,” said KTR.
KTR also urged BRS supporters and the general public to stand against the Congress government’s decision. He believes that the installation has hurt the sentiments of the entire Telangana community. KTR warned Revanth Reddy to correct his actions, or else the people of Telangana would teach him a lesson in due time. He emphasized that the BRS is the only party fully committed to protecting Telangana’s identity and interests, and it will continue to prioritize the welfare of the people over external influences.
Meanwhile, MLA V Prashanth Reddy also voiced his concerns. He accused the current Chief Minister of not allowing public access to the Martyrs Memorial in front of the Secretariat because it was built by former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao. Prashanth Reddy also pointed out that people are being restricted from visiting the 125-feet Dr. BR Ambedkar statue. He stated that KCR had intended to place the Telangana Talli statue between the Secretariat and the Martyrs Memorial, but Revanth Reddy had opposed this decision.
