Maharashtra Chief Minister Launches Scathing Attack on Telangana Leadership
In a sharply escalating political confrontation ahead of crucial urban local body elections, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched a blistering critique against his Telangana counterpart, A Revanth Reddy, on Saturday. Addressing enthusiastic public gatherings at Sirpur Kagaznagar and Mancherial as part of the Bharatiya Janata Party's intensive municipal election campaign, Fadnavis accused the Congress government in Telangana of deliberately pursuing divisive and appeasement-driven politics purely for electoral advantage.
Warning of Social Harmony Threats
Fadnavis issued a stern warning, asserting that such calculated political strategies pose a genuine and imminent danger to the delicate fabric of social harmony within the state. He elaborated that Revanth Reddy appears to operate under the misguided belief that perpetual power can be secured through the appeasement of minority communities, a tactic the Maharashtra leader condemned as historically destructive.
"The Congress government in Telangana is adopting the same old divisive policies, meticulously dividing people along religious lines," Fadnavis alleged during his charged address. "They are even manipulating reservation policies, taking away rightful opportunities from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes to allocate them to other religious groups. This ruling party is actively sowing the dangerous seeds of division within society."
Historical Parallels and Economic Critique
The senior BJP leader drew a direct historical parallel, reminding the audience that the Congress party followed a similar path of divisive politics even before India's independence, a strategy he claimed ultimately culminated in the traumatic partition of the nation. Shifting his focus to economic governance, Fadnavis presented a damning indictment of Telangana's financial management under successive governments.
He alleged that both the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) administration and the current Congress government have, through rampant corruption and severe fiscal mismanagement, transformed Telangana from a once revenue-surplus state into a heavily debt-ridden entity. In stark contrast, he highlighted the rapid and visible development witnessed in BJP-ruled states, which he credited to the efficiency of 'double-engine' governments—where the same party holds power at both the state and central levels.
Irrigation Projects and Farmer Grievances
Fadnavis also revisited interstate cooperation on major irrigation projects. He recalled that as Maharashtra Chief Minister, he had extended crucial support to the then BRS government for ambitious projects like the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme after former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao personally approached him in 2015.
While acknowledging that these projects significantly expanded irrigation coverage in Telangana, Fadnavis pointedly alleged that Maharashtra farmers who sacrificed their lands for these initiatives have been "consistently and inadequately compensated" by both the BRS and the subsequent Congress administrations in Telangana, leaving a legacy of unresolved grievances.
BJP's Municipal Election Promises
Echoing the campaign theme, BJP's Telangana state president, N Ramchander Rao, addressed the gatherings, outlining the party's vision for urban governance. Rao emphasized that the BJP would take full and unequivocal responsibility for the seamless implementation of central government schemes if entrusted with power in the state's municipalities.
"We will enforce strict, transparent measures to ensure that funds allocated by the Finance Commission are utilized solely for comprehensive urban development and are not diverted for other purposes by the state government," Rao pledged. He highlighted central initiatives like the AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) and Smart Cities Mission as key drivers for urban progress.
Allegations of Financial Mismanagement and 'Tax Terrorism'
Rao launched a direct attack on the Congress government's fiscal health, referencing Chief Minister Revanth Reddy's own recent admission about the state's strained finances and difficulties in meeting salary obligations. "How can a government that struggles to pay its own employees possibly foster the development of urban local bodies?" he questioned rhetorically.
He further issued a stark warning against what he termed 'tax terrorism', alleging that the cash-strapped state government plans to burden already struggling citizens with significantly higher taxes to cover its financial shortfalls. Rao also accused the Congress administration of neglecting the Backward Classes (OBCs), claiming that while the Chief Minister frequently speaks about appointing chairpersons from minority communities, he has systematically failed to deliver justice to OBC communities.
Appeal to Voters
Concluding the party's appeal, Rao urged voters to support the BJP, positioning it as the sole political force capable of protecting temples and temple lands across Telangana. He rallied the public with the campaign slogan 'Save Telangana - Vote for BJP', framing the upcoming municipal elections as a critical juncture for the state's future governance and social cohesion.
