BJP targeting those questioning it, says Kavitha

Hyderabad, Dec 12 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter K. Kavitha on Monday accused the BJP government at the Centre of targeting the people who are questioning it.

A day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) questioned her in Delhi liquor policy scam, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader said the Central government was misusing various agencies to target the opposition leaders.

She alleged that in a well-planned way, people who question or expose the BJP's failures were being targeted.

The member of Telangana Legislative Council was addressing extended general body meeting of the Telangana Jagruthi, the cultural arm of TRS, now known as BRS.

"They are using agencies to attack. I am not alone. Whoever speaks, agencies are speaking to them. This is happening across the country. We don't care," she said.

Kavitha said through select leaks of false news and manipulation of the media, character assassination was being done.

"Somebody said don't make women cry. I don't know about others but Telangana women have fire in their eyes, not tears. There is no question of stepping back," she said.

Kavitha alleged that the BJP is toppling democratically elected governments in states. Calling this an assault on democracy, she slammed the media for glorifying it.

The BRS leader read headlines of couple of newspapers after Shiv Sena-led government was toppled in Maharashtra. "The newspapers called it masterstroke by BJP," she said adding that this was in total contrast to the courage displayed by newspapers during the Emergency imposed by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and recalled that a newspaper left its front page completely blank to lodge its protest.

Kavitha asked the Telangana Jagruthi to gear up for another movement like Telangana to create awareness among people across the country. She said people need to be told that if opposition is targetted by misusing institutions, they will be the ultimate loser. "The opposition might lose for one term but bigger loss will be for the people. If we safeguard democratic systems, the systems will save us. We need to explain this," she said.

"We need to do across the country today what we did in Telangana yesterday," she added recalling the role played by the Telangana Jagruthi in creating awareness among people of Telangana on the "injustices meted out to them".

The BRS leader said that there is need to create awareness among people on various issues as the situation has come to such a pass that people are not even realising that they are losing their rights. She said intellectuals, writers, poets and others who are supposed to raise their voice have become frustrated and they have stopped speaking while many artists who are concerned over the state of affairs in the country have returned their awards.

Recalling the efforts made by the Telangana Jagruthi to unite intellectuals, writers, poets and artists to create awareness among people for the need to fight for statehood to Telangana, she said that there is historic necessity for the organisation to replicate itself across the country.

"Let us make a beginning. Many organisations will join us and this will become a powerful movement," she said.

Kavitha announced that the executive committee of Telangana Jagruthi will meet soon to chalk out an action plan for the nationwide movement.