BJP calls J P Nadda's 'grave' in poll bound Munugodu TRS's mischief

A “grave” of BJP chief J P Nadda came up on a wayside in the poll bound Munugodu, prompting the saffron party to accuse the ruling TRS of stooping to a new low in its vote bank politics.

In a photo in circulation on social media on Thursday, a heap of mud shaped like a grave, with flower garlands kept, has a photo of Nadda hung over it. “Regional Fluoride Mitigation and Research Centre, Choutuppal,” a banner placed above said.

The setup by unknown persons is in an apparent reference to the fluoride research center assurance given by Nadda in 2016 when he was the union home minister.

Choutuppal is part of the Munugodu assembly constituency going to the by-poll on 3 November. Munugodu is located in the fluoride affected Nalgonda region in southeast Telangana.

BJP leader and union tourism minister Kishan Reddy accused the TRS of indulging in nasty behaviour for the sake of votes, by erecting a "grave" for an alive person.

“TRS hooligans with encouragement from farmhouse families have stooped to a new low. Depicting the BJP President as a samadhi is shameful even by their already low standards. The culturally aware voters of Munugodu will not tolerate such nasty behaviour and give them a befitting response,” said Reddy.

TBJP is questioning the need of the fluoride research center now that the K Chandrasekhar Rao government claims to have eradicated fluorosis, a disease causing physical deformity, by supplying safe drinking water through its Mission Bhagiratha project.

“If the TRS government's assertions are true, why are they even raking up the matter? In any case, the state government never gave the land for the center,” TBJP spokesperson NV Subhash tells DH.

Subhash says that the Nalgonda region gradually moved towards becoming Fluorosis free because of the initiatives made by the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in the early 2000s.

Earlier in the day, Telangana municipal administration minister KT Rama Rao tweeted on the same matter.

“In 2016, as union health minister Nadda ji promised 300 bed hospital in Marriguda, Fluoride research center in Choutuppal and special assistance to fluoride victims. But did his NPA government deliver? Just Jumlas and Jhoot is what BJP & Nadda is all about,” KTR said.

Though Munugodu was a Congress held seat, the main fight is centred between the TRS and the BJP.