Congress MLA, T. Jayaprakash Reddy has asked the TRS MLAs to either get permission from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for Rahul Gandhi’s visit or at least plan a visit of KCR to the Osmania University campus.
Expressing his anguish over the university administration’s denial of Rahul Gandhi’s permission, he said it was unfortunate that the Vice Chancellor had succumbed to the Government’s pressure rather than acting independently. “What is the harm if Rahul Gandhi wants to meet the students and interact with them? We are not politicising his visit but it was the government that was politicising the visit,” he said in response to a question.
The TPCC working president said KCR had not visited any university in Telangana after he became the Chief Minister though it was on the sacrifices of students that Telangana was formed. Why is the government afraid of Mr. Gandhi’s visit to the university, he asked. He reminded that in the combined Andhra Pradesh university Vice Chancellors functioned with full autonomy and free movement of political leaders was allowed despite the agitation.
Mr. Jayaprakash Reddy admitted that he was an integrationist as he expected an ‘autocratic’ rule in a small state. “I had the guts to take a stand on the unified state during the peak of the Telangana movement. All those who warned and threatened KCR during the agitation and championed the cause of a unified Andhra Pradesh are now Ministers in KCR’s cabinet,” he said. “It is shameful that TRS MLAs are now questioning my stand. What about people like Srinivas Yadav, Puvvada Ajay, Danam Nagender and Tummala Nageshwar Rao who are now in TRS. You ask them,” he said.
