Hyderabad: Telangana minister Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday strongly criticised K Chandrashekar Rao for skipping the Assembly despite serving as the main opposition leader.
At a media interaction at Gandhi Bhavan, Ponnam Prabhakar said KCR deliberately avoided the Assembly. Outside the House, however, he continued to issue threats, the minister alleged.
After two years, KCR emerged from his farmhouse, Ponnam Prabhakar said. Reckless remarks, he added, would not silence the Congress.
The minister said the Congress government came to power through a democratic mandate. The party repeatedly invited KCR to attend the Assembly, he said.
According to Ponnam Prabhakar, the Chief Minister personally appealed to KCR. Meanwhile, the Assembly Speaker assured full respect to KCR as a senior leader.
He said debates in the House would clearly show who contributed what to the state. Ultimately, people would judge the record themselves, he added.
Ponnam Prabhakar defends Congress governance
Responding to KCR’s remarks, Ponnam Prabhakar said the former chief minister had no moral right to threaten the government. He alleged that the previous regime weakened the state financially.
Taking responsibility, he said the Congress government conducted regular reviews of financially stressed departments. Despite pressure, the government continued welfare schemes, he said.
To prevent closures, the government cleared pending rents of welfare hostels. It also settled old mess bills, he added.
Referring to the previous regime, Ponnam Prabhakar cited the Kaleshwaram project. People already knew its outcome, he said.
He also questioned the status of the Gouravelli project. KCR once claimed he would complete it at any cost, he recalled.
Unfinished projects, Ponnam Prabhakar said, exposed past failures. He urged KCR to face Assembly debates instead of making statements outside.