Revanth targets BRS over decade-long rule, weaver ‘distress’ in Sircilla

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday tore into the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing its top leaders of amassing wealth during their nearly decade-long rule while weavers, Gulf migrants and farmers were left struggling.

Mr. Revanth Reddy led a padayatra through the main streets of Sircilla with Cabinet colleagues, party leaders and cadres before addressing a huge public meeting in the textile town on Wednesday evening. TPCC president B. Mahesh Kumar Goud accompanied him.

He laid foundation stones for development works worth ₹345.78 crore in the constituency represented by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao.

Targeting Mr. Rama Rao, the Chief Minister said Sircilla turned into ‘Urisilla’, alleging that weaver suicides and migration to Gulf countries continued during the BRS regime despite his repeated election from the constituency.

He criticised the BRS government over the Kaleshwaram project and sand mining in the Manair river, and referred to the 2017 Nerella incident in which Dalits were allegedly tortured for protesting against ‘illegal’ sand transportation.

He said the BRS government had spent ₹2,234 crore on weavers during its nearly 10-year tenure, while the Congress government had allocated ₹1,731 crore for Rajanna Sircilla district in the past two-and-a-half years.

He said pending Bathukamma saree bills had been cleared, weavers’ loans waived and a ₹5 lakh ex gratia introduced for families of deceased Gulf migrant workers belonging to Telangana.

He also accused BRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao of promoting nepotism and challenged Mr. Rama Rao to release a White Paper with the details of his and his family’s properties.

He alleged that several BRS leaders availed the benefits of the rehabilitation package meant for mid-Manair project land oustees by misusing power.

Mr. Reddy further alleged that BRS leaders had acquired farmhouses in various parts of the State and three 5-star hotels near Hi-tech City in Hyderabad and invested ill-gotten wealth abroad.

Urging voters to elect the Congress in the next Assembly elections from Sircilla, Mr. Reddy promised to induct the Congress MLA from Sircilla into the Cabinet and asked the TPCC president to consider a member of the weavers’ community for nomination to the Legislative Council.