KTR criticizes handling of Group-I candidates’ agitation by Cong government

Hyderabad: BRS Working President and former Minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) stated that the Congress government is undermining the 95 percent local reservation initiated by former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

“It is disappointing that Telugu Academy books lack standards while Wikipedia is deemed more reliable,” KTR remarked during a media briefing on Saturday, reacting to the ongoing agitation by Group-I candidates.

He described the government’s treatment of the protesting candidates, who have been demonstrating for the past four days, as “pathetic and painful.” KTR emphasized that many of these candidates are likely to become top officials in the future, yet they are being treated poorly.

“It is outrageous that candidates are not even called in for an explanation regarding the government’s stubbornness,” he added.

KTR referred to Rahul Gandhi and A Revanth Reddy, who campaigned before the elections by promising to create 200,000 jobs per year, stating that the youth of Telangana are frustrated by the lack of follow-through on these commitments.

“If the authorities treat aspiring youth in this manner, it reflects poorly on how they handle the rest of the population,” he noted, urging Revanth Reddy to engage with the candidates.

With the Supreme Court set to hear the matter on Monday, KTR mentioned that their leaders would accompany the students to present their petition.

“The government should engage in discussions with the candidates without stubbornness. They deserve reasonable explanations,” KTR insisted.

He called for the postponement of exams if the candidates continue to demand it, adding, “In Madhya Pradesh, if similar issues arise, exams are rescheduled based on court rulings.”

KTR condemned the arrests of leaders RS Praveen, Srinivas Goud, Dasoju Shravan, and MLA Mutha Gopal, questioning, “Why does Revanth Reddy impose tyrannical restrictions under the guise of public order? Why is there fear in negotiations? Why resort to arrests to silence our leaders?”

He criticized Bandi Sanjay’s involvement, suggesting he is merely a pawn in a political drama. KTR urged the government to conduct negotiations with the protesting candidates.

“The government should exercise discretion in its negotiations. Protesting candidates should be welcomed at the Secretariat for a reasonable discussion. If their arguments hold merit, the exams should be postponed immediately without the need for further escalation,” he said