It is a fact that Telangana government led by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has been treating governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan with utter contempt, so much so that it has denied her the opportunity to inspect the ceremonial Republic Day parade at Secunderabad parade grounds and take the guard of honour.
It is also not giving her a chance to deliver the mandatory address to the joint session of the state legislative assembly and council on the first day of the commencement of the budget session, beginning on February 3.
But there is a general feeling that Tamilisai, too, has not been behaving like a Constitutional head of the state but displaying a political colour in her stand towards the KCR government. Every word of her has a political tinge these days.
On Thursday, it was pretty evident even in her Republic Day speech.
Though the KCR government was forced to make arrangements for the Republic Day celebrations at Raj Bhavan and deputed chief secretary Shanti Kumari and Director General of Police Anjani Kumar along with a police band to attend the ceremony, Tamilisai sounded political in her speech.
In the absence of a prepared text given by the government, the Governor chose to read out her own script making critical comments against the Telangana government, while openly praising the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
Expressing serious dissatisfaction over the style of functioning of the KCR government, Tamilisai said development was not about construction of new buildings for Secretariat, but real development has to be done through nation building.
“What we need now is not construction of farmhouses for a few people, but farm lands to the people. The farmers are committing suicide in a big number. This has to be prevented,” she said and also thanked the Narendra Modi government for extending huge benefit to the state.
She also took a dig at the government for ignoring the state universities.
“It is not about our students going abroad for higher studies; we should create proper infrastructure of international standards in our own universities,” she said.
Tamilisai said the Constitution has to be protected and respected, instead of ignoring its spirit.
“But there is alarming situation in the state now. When I say this, some people might not like me. But I like all Telangana people,” she said.
