In the wake of Hyderabad police raiding Telangana Congress’ ‘war room’ and arresting three people for making derogatory remarks about K Chandrashekar Rao, the BRS (earlier TRS) gave mixed signals on Wednesday, indicating that it wants to be part of the Opposition unity.
The BRS leader K Keshava Rao walked into a meeting called by Rajya Sabha Opposition leader Mallikarjun Kharge to discuss Parliament floor strategy on Wednesday morning, even though the meeting had ended by then.
In the wake of the Hyderabad raid, the Congress lashed out at the BRS’ late entry.
Later, the Congress slammed Telangana’s CM for throttling democracy in the state. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera asked, “What’s the difference between Narendra Modi and KCR?” He spoke at a press conference with Lok Sabha MP and Telangana Congress chief A Revanth Reddy, who called them the same.
According to Khera, the BRS government is acting against Congress because the party is raising the common people’s issues. They raided our party’s war room without a warrant or paper. The office of Sunil Kanugolu, a member of the AICC’s national task force, is raided… All our data is taken away, 50 computers are taken away, and our leaders are detained… “Telangana police behaved like goons,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Opposition unity grew with the Samajwadi Party there, which skipped a similar meeting last week. Seventeen parties attended the meeting, demanding a discussion on Chinese incursions in Tawang and threatening to walk out if they didn’t get it.
They also decided to bring up a purported attack on India’s federal structure in Parliament. The TMC is keen to bring it up.
TMC didn’t attend Wednesday’s meeting, but sources said its leaders told Opposition leaders they’d be on board with whatever decision was made. TMC sources say Sudeep Bandyopadhyay wasn’t able to attend the meeting due to illness.
The Congress, RJD, DMK, CPI, CPI(M), AAP, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT), Kerala Congress, National Conference, AIUDF, RLD, MDMK, VCK and KCM leaders issued a joint statement about repeated Chinese transgressions, but many leaders felt the Opposition should be cautious, because its stance shouldn’t be interpreted as trying to lower morale.
Aiming for national politics, looking inclusive
KCR has ignored Congress’s request for a joint floor strategy and other meetings involving the Congress, a party he has refused to share stage with. His seeming rethink by showing up late to Wednesday’s Parliament strategy meeting may be his way of telling the world he’s serious. The announcement came the same day that his new party – the Bharat Rashtra Samithi – was inaugurated, marking KCR’s entrance into national politics. He won’t be able to play that role without support from other opposition parties.”