Rift widens in BRS as Kavitha blames 'insiders' for derogatory comments

Hyderabad, Aug 3 (IANS) The rift within the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) widened further on Sunday with party President and former Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter and MLC K. Kavitha launching an open attack against party MLA and former minister G. Jagadish Reddy.

Kavitha blamed some "insiders" for derogatory comments made by suspended Congress MLC Chintapandu Naveen alias Teenmaar Mallanna against her.

Talking to media persons, she alleged that a top leader of BRS was behind the comments, and that is why the BRS leaders remained silent.

In a personal attack on Jagadish Reddy for his certain comments, she called him "Lilliput".

Kavitha remarked that the leader "who survives only in the shadow of KCR (as Chandrasekhar Rao is popularly known)" destroyed the BRS in the Nalgonda district. "If KCR is not there, who are you?” she asked.

Jagadish Reddy had reportedly made certain remarks about her position, recognition, and deviation from the party.

"Another small leader who joined the party later is also questioning my credibility. Telangana society will not spare such leaders," Kavitha said.

Kavitha said that some leaders stooped so low to encourage derogatory comments against her. "Your efforts to sideline me and make me lonely will be paid back as I believe in Karma," she said.

Kavitha, who heads the Telangana Jagruthi, seen as the cultural arm of the BRS, has been targeting a section of senior leaders, including her brother and BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao, since her confidential letter to KCR was leaked a few months ago. Calling KCR a "god", she had remarked that he is surrounded by devils.

Meanwhile, Jagadish Reddy responded to Kavitha’s comments. He wrote on X that he salutes her for her knowledge about his journey in the Telangana movement. He also said he expressed sympathy for her efforts to use the words spoken by KCR’s enemies.

Responding to BJP MP C.M. Ramesh’s comments on the BRS-BJP merger, Kavitha said his comments were taken out of her leaked letter written to KCR.

The BRS MLC said that the government has not yet given her permission for a dharna over the demand for 42 per cent reservation for BCs and hoped that the High Court would protect her rights. The High Court will be hearing, on Monday, the Telangana Jagruthi’s petition for direction to the government to give permission for a 72-hour hunger strike.

She said that the hunger strike would follow the Gandhian path of peaceful resistance. Stating that there are 112 BC castes in Telangana, she said that the idea behind the 72-hour dharna is to give 40 castes every day an opportunity to express their problems.

Kavitha said if Congress was sincere in its fight for 42 per cent reservation for BCs, its leaders, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, should have raised their voice in the Parliament.

She slammed the BJP for not approving the two Bills sent to the Centre by the state for 42 per cent reservation of BCs in education, employment and local bodies.

--IANS

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