The Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is a very busy man these days. He seems to be like an Anatomy professor or a surgeon talking about cutting and chopping human body parts. But those in the discourse are not his students. They are bitter political foes of KCR and new-found rustic enemies from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
KCR held a second consecutive media conference on Monday evening. He responded to State BJP president Bandi Sanjay’s comments to the media men earlier in the afternoon. Referring to Bandi Sanjay’s threats to plough and even seize his farmhouse, KCR menacingly thundered, “Why do you want to plough my farmhouse, I’ve done nothing wrong. Lets’ see you try to step into my farmhouse, you’ll be torn into 6 pieces”. However, KCR did not disclose to which instrument or weapon he would use to cut Bandi Sanjay into 6 pieces. It is not known whether KCR himself will carry out the act or outsource it to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)’s in-house butcher Mohammed Saleem, MLC, from the Qureshi butcher community. KCR did not mention the venue too. Whether it will be the Chief Minister’s Camp Office at Pragathi Bhavan or the Ziaguda Slaughter House will purely be a matter of fancied conjecture. Presently, KCR believes in even-handed response and giving out even numbers saying that he would cut Bandi Sanjay’s tongue into 4 pieces and also cut his body into 6 pieces. I hope numerologist Sanjay Jumani can shed light on these even numbers 4 and 6 and its impact on Telangana’s political landscape. KCR believes in Vaastu and Muhurthams but the exact day and time were also not revealed by KCR. Is he in the process of consulting his astrologers?
The embattled Chief Minister blasted the Union government for a second consecutive day. He sought clear-cut answers on whether the Union government will procure paddy from Telangana, and whether it will reduce cess on fuel, stating that he will continue to hold a press conference every day until these issues are sorted out by the Modi government. It may be recalled that on Sunday, November 7, while addressing the media over these issues, KCR had lambasted Bandi Sanjay Kumar for encouraging farmers in Telangana to cultivate paddy this Rabi season. Bandi Sanjay had announced that the state BJP would protest against the TRS government for discouraging farmers from cultivating paddy in Telangana. KCR has claimed that the problem lies with the central government, which is not willing to procure paddy from the state. On Sunday, KCR alleged that Telangana BJP leaders including Bandi Sanjay were indulging in loose talk and warned that “we will cut your tongue into 4 pieces.” Both the warring politicians accused each other of lying about the fuel price issue and paddy procurement. Sanjay alleged that the chief minister was creating more problems for farmers by preventing them from growing paddy and cotton. KCR, on the other hand, suggested and insisted that farmers grow cotton this Rabi season instead of paddy.
Responding to these allegations, Bandi Sanjay claimed that KCR was lying about the central government refusing to procure paddy. He went on to claim that, “The Food Corporation of India (FCI) wrote to the state government that paddy will be procured between October 21 and January 21.” He also demanded KCR to show evidence that farmers cultivated paddy on 62 lakh acres in the state. KCR challenged by saying he was ready to take BJP leaders around the state in helicopters and prove his claim. “They say we don’t really have 62 lakh acres of paddy cultivation. How else do we interpret this attitude, other than that they’re trying to evade (paddy) procurement,” he faulted the BJP.
Earlier in the press meet on Sunday, KCR had observed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was failing in preventing China from occupying India’s land near the border in Arunachal Pradesh. Demanding KCR’s resignation and his apology to the nation, Bandi Sanjay on Monday alleged that KCR’s comments were in support of China and demoralised our soldiers on the Indo-China border. Stung by the abuse that he was a ‘traitor’ and in retaliation, KCR on Monday lamented that anyone who questioned the BJP government is being branded as anti-national and a traitor. “When we supported the NDA, we were not called anti-nationals. When they asked for our (TRS) support for their Bills in parliament, we weren’t called anti-nationals. But anyone who questions the Union government, or speaks the truth, is branded as an anti-national or Urban Naxal,” KCR taunted the BJP. “I just said Chinese occupation in Arunachal Pradesh must be stopped, how is that anti-national?” questioned an agitated KCR.
KCR charged that the BJP had been gaining power in states like Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh undemocratically and not through people’s mandate. “Even if people choose someone else, BJP is undemocratically bringing down the government and ruling. Isn’t that undemocratic?” KCR queried. Pointing out that the BJP’s approach was to brand critics anti-national, and then carry out raids by the Income Tax department or Enforcement Directorate, KCR said that he was not afraid of any such raids. He dared Modi to send the raiders.
While putting Bandi Sanjay in the dog house for using objectionable language against him, KCR said that the opposition (Sanjay and D Aravind both BJP MPs) have made personal remarks on his appearance and drinking habits in an objectionable way. Why does KCR forget that the followers of Narendra Modi with a sharp and abusive tongue cannot be different from him? KCR should procure video copies of Modi abusing Muslims and also his political opponents.
KCR has demanded that the central government remove cess on petrol and diesel. He termed it unfair to ask states to reduce the VAT on their end. Bandi Sanjay on the other hand is fooling the masses that Telangana has the second-highest VAT rate on fuel after Rajasthan. “For every liter of petrol, the central government gets Rs. 27 while the State gets Rs. 28. And from Rs. 27 which the central government gets, the State receives Rs. 12,” he said. KCR mocked these claims, and he sought to impress that the TRS government has barely increased the VAT in the past seven years.
KCR reminded Modi that he had supported the BJP in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha when important bills had to be passed (including anti-Muslim bills). Perhaps, a Betaab (uneasy) KCR is lamenting now and asking Modi like Sunny Deol:
| Apne dil se badi dushmani ki | I became the enemy of my heart |
| Kis liye maine tum se dosti ki? | Why did I befriend you? |
| Apne dil se badi dushmani ki | I became the enemy of my heart |
| Kis liye maine tum se dosti ki? | Why did I befriend you? |
