Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday demanded that the State Election Commission remove the advertisements of TRS party from the pillars of Hyderabad Metro Rail and other public places.
“The TRS party has put up advertisements on all pillars of L&T metro rail in the ongoing GHMC elections. L&T metro rail is a public private partnership firm and state and central governments funding. There is government shareholding in L&T metro rail company. The Government of India has also given viability gap funding of over Rs.2,000 crores. The State government has given precious land for L&T metro rail. Also, TRS party has put up advertisements on RTC bus shelters, public toilets etc.,” Uttam Kumar Reddy said in his complaint lodged with State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarthy.
He was accompanied by senior leaders including MLC Jeevan Reddy, Hyderabad City President M. Anjan Kumar Yadav, TPCC General Secretary G. Niranjan and others.
Speaking to media persons later Uttam Kumar Reddy said that there was an established norm that no advertisements of political parties should be put up on govt or semi-govt properties during election campaigning period. “We request that the SEC issues an order for removal of TRS party advertisements on L&T metro rail pillars, RTC bus shelters, public toilets etc., This is a clear breach of code of conduct. We demanded that the SEC take action against the TRS party,” he demanded.
Reddy also alleged that BJP and MIM were working together to polarise the voters on religious lines during the GHMC elections. “BJP Govt has done nothing for Hyderabad. Information Technology Investment Region (ITIR), which was sanctioned by the last Congress-led UPA Govt, was cancelled by the present BJP Govt at the Centre. The ITIR project involved investment of Rs. 2.5 lakh crore and would have provided 50 lakh direct and indirect jobs. Let the BJP leaders, especially Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy, explain as to why ITIR did not take shape and why it got cancelled,” he asked.
The TPCC chief described BJP and MIM as two sides of the same coin. He said both the parties want to create a communal divide in the society on communal lines. Citing an example, he said MIM has helped BJP in coming to power in Bihar Assembly elections. “Everyone knows that if there was no MIM, RJD-led Mahagatbandhan would have come to power in Bihar. Despite making claims that it protects the interest of Muslims, MIM is strengthening the BJP at all levels,” he alleged.
Uttam said that Hyderabad witnessed development only during the Congress regimes. He said that the Congress party had spent over Rs. 1 lakh crore during 2004-2014 for the development of Hyderabad. The new International Airport, Outer Ring Road, PVNR Expressway, Metro Rail, drinking water from Krishna and Godavari rivers and several other projects were started and also completed during the previous Congress regime. He said that it was the Congress Govt which turned Hyderabad into an IT and Pharma Hub. He alleged that the TRS party only indulged in corruption and focussed on projects that could bring huge kickbacks and commissions. Therefore, he said that no development took place under TRS rule and it even failed to maintain the infrastructure created by the previous Congress government.
He said that the Congress party was contesting the GHMC elections with the slogan: “Reject communal BJP-MIM, Reject corrupt TRS and vote for Congress for development.” He said that the Congress party also promotes communal harmony, peace and brotherhood and therefore, the people should vote for Congress candidates to ensure development of Hyderabad.
Congress asks SEC to remove TRS ads from metro rail pillars
