Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhara Rao on Tuesday cautioned people against the "cancer of communalism", saying this would bring greater destruction and undo all the progress achieved.
He said people should be alert as "some forces were doing cheap politics" in the name of religion and caste in this great country which equally respects all religions and castes.
"We should be cautious because this is like cancer. If we contract this disease, it will be dangerous," he said while addressing a public meeting after laying the foundation stone of a super-specialty hospital at Alwal.
In an obvious reference to incidents in Karnataka, he told people that every day it is being published in newspapers how some elements were calling upon the public not to buy flowers or other commodities from shops owned by members of a particular community.
"Have they ever realised what will happen if 13 crore Indians working in other countries are sent back by those governments," he asked.
KCR, as the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief is popularly known, said the cancer of communalism would undo all the progress made by the country and the state.
He pointed out that Telangana attracted 2.30 lakh crore investment and provided 10-15 lakh jobs to youth in the last seven years. He said the state was also developing a pharma city and pharma university.
Stating that Hyderabad's Genome Valley is the vaccine capital of the world, the Chief Minister said that 33 per cent of vaccines in the world are produced in this cluster.
"All these investments and industries will come when there is peace and communal harmony and there is law and order. Wealth gets created and people get employment. People come from all over if all types of food are available and all languages are spoken. What happens if somebody lands at the airport and knows that there is curfew or Section 144 in the city. Will he come to invest in the city?" he asked.
KCR said while whipping up passions or creating some problems may give temporary pleasure, this would have permanent disastrous consequences for the country.
He said that during the last seven years, Telangana has achieved tremendous progress and surpassed even bigger and older states. "Our government could create wealth and distribute it among the poor. In no other state, widows, old age people and others are getting Rs 2,016 monthly pension and in no other state differently abled are receiving Rs 3,016 monthly pension," he said.
The TRS chief said while the rest of the country including Prime Minister's home state Gujarat is facing electricity shortage, there is no such problem in Telangana.
He pointed out that every household in Telangana is getting drinking water thanks to Mission Bhagiratha. The state has also taken up massive irrigation projects like Kaleshwaram and Palamuru.
