BENGALURU: Building on the allegation of “injustice to south Indian states”, Telangana chief minister Revanth Reddy on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi‘s govt was “discriminating” against the south and this will result in “his downfall”.
In a freewheeling chat with select journalists, Reddy said multinational companies intending to invest in southern states are being “threatened” and asked to shift to Gujarat or other north Indian states.
“They are directly threatened by the PMO. Their (Modi govt’s) intention is that we (south Indian states) fight for spillovers,” Reddy said. He said the discrimination has extended to cabinet berths and top posts over the past 10 years.
Reddy said a majority of key constitutional posts in the country, including President and Vice-President, have gone to people from north India.
He said Congress has been far more inclusive and it follows an unwritten rule that if a north Indian becomes PM, the President or Vice-President would be from the south. “Congress has always managed to balance regional aspirations. If four are from north India, three would be inducted from south. But BJP’s approach itself is anti-south India,” Reddy said.
Reddy said this discrimination will continue if absolute power is put in BJP’s hands. Those who speak the truth are “forcibly retired” and that would continue. He claimed that BJP will not cross 220 seats in these elections. “In 131 seats across five states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and the UT of Lakshadweep, BJP will not get more than 20 seats,” he said.
In a freewheeling chat with select journalists, Reddy said multinational companies intending to invest in southern states are being “threatened” and asked to shift to Gujarat or other north Indian states.
“They are directly threatened by the PMO. Their (Modi govt’s) intention is that we (south Indian states) fight for spillovers,” Reddy said. He said the discrimination has extended to cabinet berths and top posts over the past 10 years.
Reddy said a majority of key constitutional posts in the country, including President and Vice-President, have gone to people from north India.
He said Congress has been far more inclusive and it follows an unwritten rule that if a north Indian becomes PM, the President or Vice-President would be from the south. “Congress has always managed to balance regional aspirations. If four are from north India, three would be inducted from south. But BJP’s approach itself is anti-south India,” Reddy said.
Reddy said this discrimination will continue if absolute power is put in BJP’s hands. Those who speak the truth are “forcibly retired” and that would continue. He claimed that BJP will not cross 220 seats in these elections. “In 131 seats across five states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and the UT of Lakshadweep, BJP will not get more than 20 seats,” he said.