HYDERABAD: Union minister G Kishan Reddy on Tuesday said that he was ready for any kind of debate with chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at the Telangana martyrs’ memorial in front of the assembly and in the presence of media.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, the minister for tourism, culture and north-east states development took at the dig at the CM and said, “The only condition is that the debate be held in a civilised manner without the use of abusive language because I am not skilled at it and will lose as I cannot match him.” The minister further said, “I believe the CM’s insulting comments on PM Narendra Modi and me have only served to diminish the status of the position he holds. I’ll leave it to the people of Telangana to decide, but we’re prepared to take any insults for the cause of the people, and I’ll continue to work for the welfare and development of the state.”
Union minister claimed that all he said was that Centre was willing to buy every grain of paddy this season to boost farmers’ trust and that the CM was ‘insecure’ after the Huzurabad bypoll loss, prompting him to criticise the Centre.
He expressed his dismay that neither the CM nor the chief secretary sought his assistance or attempted to contact him during their visits to Delhi. “I never got an appointment with CM and was unable to speak with him on the phone when I became a central minister. I come from a farming background and had to work my way up. Perhaps, he thinks I’m small,” Kishan claimed.
