KCR promotes family rule in Telangana: Sushma Swaraj

Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj Wednesday attacked TRS president and caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for allegedly letting down the people and promoting family rule in Telangana.

Swaraj, who was in Hyderabad for the BJP's campaign for the December 7 assembly polls in the state, also said the election scenario was full of "contradictions".

"Today if we see, KCR is chief minister, son is a minister, nephew is a minister... Telangana which was built on the blood and bodies of thousands of children (youngsters), after assuming power, power is limited to only five members of a family," she told reporters referring to the suicides by youths during the agitations for a separate Telangana state.

By shattering the dreams of the people, one family's rule came up in Telangana, the Union minister alleged.

"It is full of contradictions as TDP (which had allegedly opposed formation of Telangana), Congress (which formed separate Telangana) and Telangana Jana Samiti are part of the grand alliance," she said.

Further, the TRS, which sought the formation of Telangana and AIMIM, a party that opposed separate Telangana, were now together, she said.

It was only BJP that has not changed its views, Swaraj said, adding that her party stood for the formation of Telangana then and for the state's development now.

"I will say that this is an election between contradiction and clarity," she said.

The TRS government recognised only 400 among about 2,000 people who sacrificed their lives, she alleged.

Swaraj also disapproved of the language being used by Rao.

"But, the kind of language, now MIM came up for the mention. KCR also uses similar language. We are rivals of each other in elections... But we don't become enemies.

"This language, even enemies don't speak. A chief minister speaking this language about the prime minister (Narendra Modi), white lies, blatant lies," she said.

On Tuesday, hitting out at Prime Minister Modi for his remarks that Nizamabad was grappling with a shortage of water, electricity and proper roads, Chandrasekhar Rao had advised him "not to lie for the sake of votes."

Replying to a query about several people, including from Telangana, benefiting from Swaraj responding to their grievances on Twitter, she said some more measures need to be taken to address problems of Indians working abroad.

An outreach programme was organised in Hyderabad as part of efforts to help those Indians facing trouble abroad, she said.

There should be a crackdown on unscrupulous agents who send people to work abroad, the BJP leader said.

Swaraj said an awareness campaign has also been conducted.

(With inputs from agencies.)