Just days before the “mother of all surveys” scheduled for Tuesday in Telangana, an audio clipping of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhara Rao’s voice admitting that it is designed against Seemandhra people in the state has caused widespread fear among settlers here.
A video in which his public relations officer delivers a similar message has gone viral, further underlining concerns that the exercise is specifically intended against settlers.
The audio of KCR’s address to Telangana revenue officers, released by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Revanth Reddy at the party headquarters along with a transcript in Telugu, purportedly revealed the chief minister mentioning that the problem lies only in Ranga Reddy and Hyderabad districts, which have most of the Seemandhra settlers he wants to get rid of.
“Only the Andhra people never get assimilated in Telangana,” KCR was heard saying in the audio clip.
“(Even) the Gujaratis and Maharashtrians become a part of society, but only the Andhra people dominate us. The real problem is them,” KCR said.
“We have already identified IAS officers and MROs belonging to Andhra Pradesh and dumped them. I have left clear instructions that no AP officers should attend this meeting,” the chief minister was heard as saying.
“If we suffocate them, tighten the screw, then they would automatically opt out and leave, saying why this trouble? You (officers) are aware of the facts. Why are you making me say this? You all have participated in the (anti-Telangana) agitations...I have spoken to Collector Sridhar; I have a separate strategy for Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts,” KCR said. He had closed-door meetings with like-minded IAS officers.
The audio, which was in two parts, has shocked the political circles who had hailed KCR’s announcement that the survey is intended to weed out bogus beneficiaries.
Even before the shock of the audio clipping could settle, TDP leader Narender Reddy released a video showing KCR’s PRO Vijay telling mediapersons in Warangal that the real objective of the survey was to throw out Andhra students and employees from Telangana.
“The survey is aimed at kicking one lakh students and 50,000 employees of the Andhra region out of Telangana. So you should be aware of the real intention, I don’t have to tell you to support this survey for your own interests. If you fill your details they will be automatically known,” he said.
The young media officer, who earlier worked with Jaganmohan Reddy’s Sakshi TV, said his comments were off the record.
“Why this double speak? Your real intentions are out in the open. What is the special strategy for Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy, is that ethnic profiling?” asked Revanth Reddy adding that the TDP would come to the rescue of Seemandhra people living in these two districts.
The footage, which has gone viral in social media since Sunday, has created panic among Seemandhra people, who prefer staying out of the survey.
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad High Court has given green signal to the survey slated for Tuesday in which over one crore households will be taken up for enumeration, saying that it cannot issue an interim order at this juncture.
