Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s (KCR’s) recent statement that the people of Raichur want to be a part of Telangana has received sharp criticism from the activists of the district.
KCR recently said the people of Raichur want the district to be merged with Telangana, seeing the welfare programmes implemented here.
Raghavendra Kustagi of Hyderabad-Karnataka Janasangram Kendra said such a remark is unbecoming of a chief minister of a state and is a foolish one.
“The people of about 40 villages, including a few villages around Adoni, speak Kannada. Hence, we demand that those Kannada-speaking villages should be merged with Karnataka,” Kustagi said.
He said KCR may have set his eyes on the Krishna and Tungabhadra river waters in Raichur district as Telangana is facing scarcity of water.
Hyderabad-Karnataka Horata Samiti vice president Razak Ustad said they were happy in Karnataka and better off than Telangana.
“We have not placed any demand before KCR, seeking merger of Raichur with that state,” he said.
“The freebies that he is giving now to the people of his state were already given in Karnataka about 25 years ago. Free drinking water is being supplied to the people through the multi-village water scheme and free power supply was also given through the Bhagya Jyothi scheme,” Ustad said.
He rued that the Karnataka government had not reacted to KCR’s statement.
KPCC spokesperson Priyank Kharge tweeted that he was disappointed as not a single statement was made by the chief minister or anybody in the government.
“Does BJP government consider us a part of Karnataka or not? What action have you taken against your MLA who suggested that Raichur be merged with Telangana. Your inaction has encouraged Telangana CM to make the remark,” Kharge tweeted.
Published 18 August 2022, 17:12 IST