Gadkari's comment sparks war of words between TRS, BJP

Hyderabad: The comments of Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari during his visit to the State capital have led to a war of words between the ruling party and opposition leaders. The TRS claimed that the remarks were testimony to the development works done by the State government, while the BJP leaders said that the TRS leaders were twisting the Minister's comments.

The Union Minister Gadkari during a programme held for laying of the foundation stone for the highways in the State on Friday, said that he was the one who gave all the permissions for the Kaleshwaram Irrigation project and this led to solving the drinking water problem of the people of the city as the project was catering the drinking water needs of Hyderabad.

The TRS leaders taking advantage of the comments said that the Union Minister had praised the TRS government for its development works. Roads and Buildings Minister V Prashanth Reddy said that Gadkari in his speech had appreciated Telangana by stating that it was a progressive State. Government Whip B Suman also added that though the BJP activists were shouting in the official programme, the Union Minister appreciated the Telangana government, which was testimony to the development done by the government.

However, these comments seem to have not gone well with the BJP leaders, who have been alleging large scale corruption in the irrigation projects. The BJP leaders were in a dilemma of how to react after the comments of the Union Minister. State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, during his padayatra has been the TRS government for corruption. He had also alleged that the project was constructed only for the farmhouse of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao in Gajwel.

The BJP leaders however said that the TRS leaders were twisting the comments of the Union Minister. Party's State vice president NVSS Prabhakar said that Gadkari was talking only about the benefits the Telangana State got through his ministry. The Union Minister talks in a dignified manner and not in a 'chillar' like the TRS leaders, said Prabhakar.