KTR accepts Revanth’s offer for debate on governance

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday challenged chief minister Revanth Reddy to a public debate on the Congress govt’s governance, Telangana’s finances, the agrarian crisis and the implementation of poll promises, saying he would resign from politics if he failed to substantiate his allegations with facts and official data.Responding to Revanth Reddy’s reported offer for a discussion on governance, KTR said the debate could be held either in Warangal where the Congress unveiled its farmers’ declaration ahead of the assembly elections, or in Ashok Nagar where it promised jobs to unemployed youth. Addressing a press conference, KTR said he was prepared to debate the govt’s performance on any public issue, and challenged the chief minister to decide the venue, subject and time.

“If I fail to expose the failures of your govt with official data, I will resign on the spot and retire from politics,” he said.KTR said Revanth Reddy repeatedly described Telangana as a “bankrupt state”, and accused the chief minister of tarnishing the state’s image. He alleged that no CM who cared for the state’s interests would publicly portray it as bankrupt.Rejecting the Congress govt’s claims on Telangana’s finances, KTR said the Centre had informed Parliament that Telangana’s outstanding debt stood at around ₹2.7 lakh crore.

KTR accused the chief minister of citing varying debt figures “ranging from ₹6 lakh crore to ₹8 lakh crore” to suit his political narrative and alleged that if the state’s finances were under strain, it was because of corruption and financial mismanagement under the present regime.He claimed that dues of over ₹1.10 lakh crore remained unpaid to farmers and accused the govt of failing to fully implement farm loan waiver promises, besides neglecting tenant farmers and agricultural labourers.He alleged that Telangana was witnessing an agrarian crisis marked by fertiliser shortages, crop losses, farmer suicides and power supply issues, while the govt continued to present an unrealistic picture of the situation. KTR also questioned the Congress govt’s priorities, alleging there was no money for farmers, students, women, pensioners or govt employees even as the state claimed to be pursuing other spending priorities.