Hyderabad: Protest sparks slanging match between TRS, BJP

Hyderabad: The ruling TRS party hit the roads on Friday against the Centre and the BJP with its campaign of "Kontava Konava" (will you purchase or not) paddy from Telangana.

The TRS single-line campaign was unleashed as part of its "Rythuku Anda Gulabi Dandu" (Pink brigade standing with farmers). TRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao, and all ministers, MLAs and MLCs and party leaders launched a vitriolic attack on the BJP and the Centre.

The ministers took a dig at the Centre and the BJP with "Anni Ammali... Vadlu Konaddanedi Bhajpa vidhanam" (It is the policy of the BJP to sell everything, but not to procure paddy). The entire pink bridge campaign had one question posed to the BJP and the Centre, "Kontava Konava" (will you purchase or not) paddy from Telangana.

Giving a twist to the ruling party campaign in a lighter banter, the BJP sympathisers and supporters launched a counter-attack running a campaign against the TRS on social media, "Vaddlu Konam-Kani Itara Partilanunchi gelichina MLAlanu Kontam" (will urchase only MLAs elected from other parties, but not paddy), which the netizens took to humorous heights taking a dig at both the parties sending people into peals of laughter.

TRS MLA Rasamayi Balakishan's outburst against Prime Minister Narendra Modi added traction. The TRS claimed that Modi eats wheat. Thus, he does not know about agriculture, making the netizens ask whether wheat is manufactured in factories? So far, the BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar was accused of using improper and intemperate language against the TRS and its leaders.

However, in a day's protest, the TRS leaders brought in animals, how to beat people stripping them of their clothes and a host of other words and ways they can deal with the saffron party, the Centre and Sanjay. What was supposed to be a protest against the Centre for not procuring paddy from Telangana farmers has turned into a show of expertise for a slanging match.