Assembly meet converted into anti-Modi session, says Kishan Reddy

Hyderabad: Union Minister for Culture and Tourism G Kishan Reddy on Monday took strong exception to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao's speech on the last date of the State Assembly flaying his attempt to sully the country and its economy.

Addressing the media in Delhi, Reddy dared KCR to come for an open debate on the economy, either at the Press Club or Martyrs Memorial near the Assembly. He charged that the Assembly was turned into an anti-Modi session mudslinging the PM and the Centre.

Rolling out details of debt-to-GDP ratio of the US, the UK, Singapore and other countries, Reddy ridiculed the CM's comparison of GDP with that of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Singapore. "This shows his lack of understanding. KCR's rhetoric with nothing to substantiate his claims exposes the political decadence of the BRS".

He said the debt-to-GDP ratio of Singapore stands at 471 per cent; the US 120 per cent, and the UK 273 per cent. But in India it can't go beyond 19.9 per cent. He asked whether was it not a prudent decision of the Centre?

"Comparing with those nations and painting a poor picture of the economy exposes the political insolvency of the Kalwakuntla family". He asked the BRS chief not to worry and hurry about resigning and be prepared to put in his papers, as anyway, he will have to submit the same at the Raj Bhavan in seven-eight months.

Reddy asked why the CM did not discuss the State economy and its failures, instead of focusing on the country's economy. "The BRS MPs boycott the Budget session of Parliament where the country's economy is discussed. But KCR talks about country's economy in the Assembly," he pointed out.

The minister charged that the State government has been sourcing loans for 'cuts' pushing Telangana into a debt trap. Referring to the CM's praise of UPA government under Manmohan Singh and tenure of former PM Indira Gandhi, Reddy said it shows that the BRS chief is looking for a poll alliance with the Congress.