Telangana: TRS hits back, says charges a pack of lies

HYDERABAD: Soon after Eatala Rajender quit TRS and accused CM K Chandrasekhar Rao of enslaving MLAs and ministers, the ruling party went on the offensive against the former minister saying that he had benefited a great deal politically at the cost of several senior leaders like Harish Rao in the party.
The party said Eatala was made MLA for six terms, minister twice and party floor leader in the assembly in united Andhra Pradesh.Addressing a press conference, Rythu Bandhu Samithi chairman and MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy, MLA and government whip Guvvala Balaraju and MLC Balasani Laxmi Narayana refuted the rebel leader’s allegations that he was insulted by the CM by not allowing him into Pragathi Bhavan in 2016.
Rajeshwar Reddy charged that Eatala lacked leadership qualities, but KCR gave him an MLA ticket and made him a leader. He was invited for all the meetings and he used to come late for some of them, including PM’s video-conference, the MLC said.
The former minister is now talking about selfpride. How can he acquire assigned land of the poor which is illegal. He has more respect for his properties than the law of the land,” he said.
On the probe into the assigned land issue, Rajeshwar Reddy, who is also TRS general secretary, said the government has to react to every petition filed by the common man and the CM has done the same by ordering a probe.
Faulting Eatala, the TRS general secretary said if he had any suggestions to make about any government scheme, he should share them in the cabinet meetings but not air them in open forums. “Rythu Bandhu is one the best schemes announced by the state and even the Centre has adopted it. Many small and marginal farmers have benefited from the scheme. Only 6,000 among the beneficiaries have huge extent of the land,” Rajeshwar Reddy clarified, rebutting Eatala’s charges that the scheme was helping the rich land owners.
He also said Telangana state was realised only because of the efforts of KCR. “There may be numerous leaders, but KCR towers over every leader. Eatala was not the only MLA to quit his post during the statehood movement, several other MLAs quit, including KCR,” he recalled.