HYDERABAD: Hyderabad and Bengaluru have been competing with each other in attracting IT investments and being top in the IT sector. Now the competition turned into a war between Telangana minister and TRS working president KT Rama Rao and Karnataka Congress chief DK Shiva Kumar on twitter.
While KTR asked to let Hyderabad and Bengaluru compete in creation of jobs for youngsters and prosperity, DK Shiva Kumar said he has accepted the challenge posed by KTR and will do it by 2023.
It all began when Ravish Naresh, co-founder of Housing.com and Khatabook expressed his displeasure over infrastructure in Bengaluru city. He tweeted "startups in HSR and Koramangala (India’s Silicon Valley) are already generating billions of dollars of taxes. Yet we have very bad roads, almost daily power cuts, poor quality water supply and bad foot paths. Many rural areas now have better basic infra than India’s silicon valley. Also, the nearest airport is three kms away in peak traffic," he tweeted.
He tagged the tweet to PM Narendra Modi and Karnataka BJP.
Responding to his tweet the Telangana’s IT and industries minister KT Rama Rao invited Ravish Naresh to pack up and come to Hyderabad for setting up their firms.
"Pack your bags and move to Hyderabad, we have better physical infrastructure and equally good social infrastructure. Our airport is one of the best and getting in and out of the city is a breeze," KTR said. He said more importantly, our government’s (TRS government) focus is on three mantras “innovation, infrastructure and inclusive growth.
Congress party president of Karnataka Shiva Kumar reacted to the tweet of KTR and said he has accepted his challenge and vowed to restore the glory of Bengaluru city.
"@KTRTRS my friend, I accept your challenge. By the end of 2023, with Congress back in power in Karnataka, we will restore the glory of Bengaluru as India’s best city." he said.
The war did not stop there. On the comments to his tweets, KTR further said let both the southern states compete on IT and Biotechnology (BT), not on Halal and Hijab. He said it was strange and sad of the state of affairs in Bengaluru. Some BJP politicians from Benguluru come and lecture us on how to run the government in Telangana.
"What’s happening in Karnataka is a shame on all of us in India, ruins our reputation as a nation in attracting investments,” the Telangana minister said. Addressing Shiva Kumar, KTR said "Dear Shiva Kumar Anna, I don’t know much about politics of Karnataka and who will win but challenge is accepted. Let’s Hyderabad and Bengaluru compete healthily on creating jobs for our youngsters and prosperity for our great nation. Let’s focus on infra, IT and BT and not on Halal and Hijab."
Ever since BJP came into power in Karnataka and the Centre started giving funds to the BJP ruled neighbouring state, both Telangana CM and KTR expressed their ire on the Centre for ignoring the state in giving funds and also sanctioning projects.
KTR earlier said while Kaleshwaram and Palamuru were not given national project status, Upper Bhadra scheme in Karnataka and Polavaram in AP govt national project status. They also slammed on earlier occasions for not funding Hyderabad metro rail project, while Bengaluru got Rs 10,000 crore.
Even during the 2020 city flood, both KCR and KTR said while the Centre did not release a penny to Hyderabad, the neighbouring state got Rs 665 crore during floods.
KCR during his public addresses recently talked about Hijab and law and order issues in Karnataka and compared with Telangana. He said who will come and invest if there is no law and order and daily curfews and lathi charges referring row over Hijab.
Earlier in the day, KTR took potshots on the Centre saying he read about Chinese torture only in books.
"The consecutive 80 paisa fuel price hike 12th in 14 days outdoes any torture and a record of sorts. FM Nirmalaji, why hesitate to debate in parliament on crude oil prices, the Cessess that we do away with to reduce prices.
"Any those who rant about how states can reduce state taxes, in Telangana we have not enhanced VAT in the last seven years i.e in Jan 2015. Our demand is to do away with indiscriminate Cessess imposed by the NDA government which will lower fuel prices by 30% at least.” KTR said.
