BJP workers behaved cheaply in presence of Union Mins: V Prashant Reddy

Hyderabad: Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy on Friday came down heavily on BJP over the slogans 'Jai Shri Ram' raised during his speech at GMR Arena during the foundation laying ceremony of 12 national Highway projects.

Addressing the media, the Minister said that the BJP workers behaved cheaply in presence of the BJP-led Central Ministers Nitin Gadkari, VK Singh and G Kishan Reddy. He said that the BJP workers deliberately raised Jai Shri Ram slogan while he was about to start his speech. Prashant Reddy alleged that around 3000 BJP workers were present during the ceremony wearing saffron shawls. The Minister said he attended the ceremony thinking that it is the government programme. He questioned the behavior of BJP workers during his speech. V Prashant Reddy said that the workers deliberately disrupted his speech with Jai Shri Ram slogans fearing that he would question the Central government over its failures and the partiality it is showing towards Telangana. He refuted Nitin Gadkari's statement that Central government has gifted national highways worth 800 crores to Telangana and added that it is an acceptable statement.

Earlier, the BJP workers on Friday disrupted the speech of Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy at an official ceremony of foundation stone laying of national highway projects. The incident took place in presence of Union Ministers Nitin Gadkari, G Kishan Reddy and VK Singh.

The worker raised slogans of 'Jai Shri Ram', which created an uproar when the Minister Vemula Prashant Reddy began his speech. This created disorder at the event at GMR Arena near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad.

The programme was organised to lay the foundation stone for various national highway projects in Telangana by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

Union Minister Kishan Reddy intervened to appeal the BJP workers not to disturb the official programme.

It is believed that this is the first time that such an incident has taken place in the State at an official event. The incident occurs amid the ongoing war of words between the leaders of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and opposition BJP in the state over various issues.

Alleging discrimination towards Telangana by the BJP government at the Centre, the TRS leaders have been targeting the saffron party. The BJP leaders have been attacking TRS over the one family rule and alleged corruption in the State.

Kishan Reddy used the platform to deny that the Centre is discriminating against Telangana. He claimed that Narendra Modi government was committed to the development of all States.