Congress calls Chandrasekhar Rao stooge, puppet of BJP

The Congress Thursday called TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao a "stooge" and "puppet" of the BJP and accused him of betraying the interest of Telangana, after his government recommended dissolution of the assembly months before the end of its term.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said Rao "insulted" the mandate by dissolving the assembly and has hit the "Telugu pride" of the people.

"Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is a stooge of Bharatiya Janata Party and is acting as a puppet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and (BJP chief) Amit Shah. He has betrayed the interests of the people of Telangana," he said.

Surjewala said Rao displayed "arrogance" by deciding to dissolve the assembly.

"This rank arrogance will be punished by Telugu people and they will not pardon him for siding with the BJP and for sacrificing the interests of people of Telangana," he said.

The reaction from Congress came hours after Rao called the party Telangana's "enemy number 1" and its chief Rahul Gandhi the "biggest buffoon" in the country.

Recalling how Gandhi had hugged Modi during the debate on the no-confidence motion against the BJP government at the Centre and his subsequent wink, Rao said, "Everybody knows Rahul Gandhi. He is the biggest buffoon in the country. Whole country has seen in the open assembly (Lok Sabha) how he went to Mr Narendra Modi and hugged him, the way he was winking," the TRS president said.

"Rahul Gandhi has inherited the legacy of the Congress Delhi Sultanate. He is the legal heir of the Congress empire of Delhi. That is the reason I appeal to the people, let's not become slaves to Congress, slaves to Delhi," Rao said in Hyderabad.

At the presser in New Delhi, Surjewala sought to ask Rao whether it was not correct that the then UPA government had promised special institutions and development package to both the states - Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"Has the prime minister fulfilled this promise in the last 4.5 years. The truth is that the BJP and PM Modi have betrayed the people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

"By sitting in the lap of BJP, K Chandrasekhar Rao ji is betraying the interests of people of Telangana. He is acting as a stooge and puppet of the BJP and he will be punished by the people of Telangana for the stark betrayal, rampant corruption, and complete maladministration during his government in these years," he claimed.

Shortly after recommending the dissolution of the Telangana assembly, Rao announced candidates for 105 seats.