Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) acting president KT Rama Rao on Monday, August 19, said that the BRS will rename all its campuses across the state after prominent personalities from Telangana.

“Today, the Congress party, which has killed hundreds of people, is trying to undermine the pride and existence of the state by erecting a statue of Rajiv Gandhi in front of the Secretariat. Without a doubt, the BRS will regain power,” KTR said.

The incumbent BRS president stated that in four years, KCR will be the chief minister and BRS will form the government. “Once our government is formed, the Rajiv Gandhi statue in front of the Secretariat will be removed. It will be installed where the Congress wants it. The Telangana Talli statue will be installed in front of the Secretariat,” KTR noted.

KTR added that the Congress had done a “grave injustice” to Telangana and that the BRS would also rename the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad after a prominent personality from Telangana.

“Most of the important places across the country are named after prominent personalities of the respective states. For example, Mumbai has Chatrapati Shivaji and Bengaluru has Kempegowda. Only in Hyderabad are monuments and institutions named after Rajiv Gandhi,” said the Sircilla MP. KTR called the Congress’ move to install Rajiv Gandhi’s statue in the Secretariat “cheap” and stated that the BRS will not “tolerate” all these names anymore. “All these cheap tricks of the Congress will be done away with in four years. On behalf of the people of Telangana, I now request the Congress to remove the statue from the Secretariat,” he added.

“In Hyderabad, there are many statues of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi and areas named after them. The BRS has not changed these. However, the statue in front of the Secretariat should be removed. The Congress is used to taking orders from Delhi. The BRS has no such compulsion. We will rename all the places once we come to power,” he noted.

On the atrocities against women in Telangana, KTR said, “Ever since Congress came to power in Telangana, women’s safety has been a concern. Remember the Shadnagar case where a Dalit woman was assaulted by police? After BRS leaders confronted the police, the officer was suspended. There are many more cases of atrocities against women in Telangana.”

He also questioned the role of the police in ensuring the safety of women and children. “There is a need to create a peaceful atmosphere in the state and the Congress does not know how to do that. The government does not know how to tackle the high number of murders in Hyderabad. The government has not appointed a Home Minister for Telangana.”

KTR demanded that the Congress investigate how the BRS has set up She Teams, Bharosa Centres, Women Safety Units and She Shuttles. “After the Kolkata doctor’s rape and murder, doctors are demanding the government to deal with the culprits the way the BRS government dealt with the accused in the Disha case,” KTR alleged.