Hyderabad: Reacting sharply to Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao's remark describing Rahul Gandhi as the country's "biggest buffoon", the Congress on Thursday hit back calling Rao a dictator.
Congress leader R.C. Khuntia, who is incharge of the party affairs in Telangana, said Rao "is a dictator worse than Hitler".
KCR, as Rao is widely known, had termed Rahul Gandhi a buffoon while addressing a news conference shortly after the dissolution of the state Assembly to pave the way for early elections.
"Only a buffoon can say that," Khuntia told reporters in Delhi.
Slamming the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief for banning protests at Dharna Chowk in Hyderabad, he alleged that KCR was a dictator.
"Can a person who comes from a movement deny people their democratic rights," asked the Congress leader.
Khuntia said though people had given amandate to the TRS to rule for five years, KCR dissolved the Assembly nearly 10 months ahead of time. He said early elections to Assembly and subsequent polls to Lok Sabha will hamper development in the state.
The Congress leader said by going for early polls, KCR himself declared the end of KCR era. He exuded confidence that the Congress will come to power in Telangana with a thumping majority.
Telangana Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy asked the Election Commission to come clean in the wake of a statement by KCR that he spoke to the poll panel for dissolution of Assembly.
"The Election Commission has a lot to answer for because KCR has said that he spoke to them before dissolution. This created suspicion as the Election Commission had announced revision of voters' list in Telangana from September 1 and the process was to end on January 1, 2019. The Election Commission should clarify what he spoke with them and what they spoke with him."
Reddy termed as blatant lies the claims by KCR about the growth rate and development of Telangana.
He claimed that Telangana was number one in the country in terms of sale of liquor and also number one in farmers' suicides. He accused KCR and his family of looting Telangana by resorting to corruption in various projects.
Terming the coming elections as a fight between KCR family and people of Telangana, he said that people will teach a befitting lesson to the family.
