Not bothered about criticism & humiliation: T'gana Guv Soundararajan

Hyderabad: Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday stated that she is not bothered about criticism and humiliation as her job is to serve people and she will continue to do her job.

Stating that she entered politics to serve people, Soundarajan said that as Governor, she has been working for the people. The Governor also stated that she was a BJP leader but now her role is different.

"I was a politician. I don’t hide it. Some people in Telangana say you are a politician, you are a BJP leader. That is my history. Now I hold an administrative post. I don't hide it. I don't shy away. It's a fact," she said while addressing a women's meeting at Raj Bhavan on the passage of the Women's Reservation Bill.

The Governor's remarks are seen as a counter to the attack by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leaders after she rejected two nominations sent by the state government for Legislative Council under the Governor's quota on the ground that both the persons are politically aligned.

BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao had said that she is unfit to hold the governor's post. He had alleged that she was acting as a BJP leader.

While advising women to be always brave, Tamilisai remarked that they should be bold whether they are respected or not and whether protocol is followed or not. "If you come and give flowers, I will receive it. If you are turning your back, I will move faster. I always say if stones are thrown at me, I will build my fort with those stones. If pins are pricking me, I will soak my pen in that blood and I will write my history. Nothing can hurt me nothing, can prevent me," she said. Tamilisai said though she was a very successful doctor, politics was her passion because of her father.

She said she wanted to help women and she always believed that many good works can be done with power.

Describing politics as a "men's field", she said if women get opportunities and reservation, this will motivate more women to join politics.

Tamilisai was president of Tamil Nadu's BJP unit before being appointed the Governor.

She said the reservation gave women the confidence that they could get some positions and really competent and talented women got it.

"As women we have to work 10-20 times more than a man at least to be considered. The reservation will motivate many women to enter politics," she said while thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ensuring passage of the Bill in the Parliament.

She said women should prepare themselves to benefit from the reservation. She said though 33 per cent reservation has been provided, women should aim for 50 per cent by competing on the unreserved seats.

She said while politics was so far dominated by 'man power' and 'muscle power', from hereafter, it will also be decided by 'mahila power'.

"I am not inferior to anybody. I do more hard work than a man," she said.

Tamilisai, however, admitted that women have some limitations like family life, personal life and personal liking when competing with men.

She recalled that when she landed in Hyderabad as Governor, there was no woman minister in the state but by evening she administered oath to two women ministers.