Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and caretaker chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is of the view that the people have a very short memory and they will not remember the past, but would be carried away by whatever he says in his typical style.
His latest statements owning up the Seemandhra settlers in Telangana as part of Telangana only show how he is trying to take them for a ride, assuming that they had forgotten what he had said about them during the Telangana movement and even in the recent past.
On Tuesday, KCR sought to appease the Andhra settlers as the natives of Telangana. Obviously this is out of fear that Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minster N Chandrababu Naidu might attract their votes in the coming elections.
Though Naidu had so far not entered the electioneering nor had disclosed his election strategy in Telangana, the TRS chief has already started attacking him, accusing him of attempting to create rift between people of Andhra origin and Telangana natives for his political gains.
What is surprising is that KCR was describing the TDP as an Andhra party and Naidu as an Andhra leader who has no business in Telangana, while trying to describe Andhra settlers as Telanganites.
He asked people of Andhra origin to shed their feeling of being outsiders or settlers.
“You are as much part of Telangana society as Telangana natives and you should proudly claim yourself as Telanganites,” he suggested.
At the same time, KCR says TRS had made at least 12 persons of Andhra origin as corporators in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation as well as around six MLAs who had their roots in Andhra Pradesh. This is more surprising, as all the six MLAs of Andhra origin were actually elected on the TDP ticket.
But the people of Andhra origin have not forgotten KCR’s call: “Telangna wale Jago, Andhra wale Bhago” during the movement.
He even described Andhra settlers are demons, stating: “Lankalo puttina vaaranthaa Rakshasule” (all those who were born in Lanka are demons).
People still remember how the TRS activists prevented Andhra people from returning to Hyderabad after Sankranti vacations and damaged their properties in Andhra, at the call of KCR.
Now, the same gentlemen is talking sweetly with the Andhra settlers and want them to feel proud to be Telanganites.
If Andhra people are part of Telangana, what is the need for bifurcation then, Mr KCR?
