In a massive public meeting in the heart of Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Saturday appealed to all sections of people to protect peace and tranquility of the city.
"This is our city and we have to save it. Do not let the tranquility of the city be disturbed," Rao said at the LB Stadium, where thousands of people gathered to listen to his speech in the run up to the forthcoming high stakes Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections scheduled to be held on December 1.
The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) founder said that it is very important for the city be peaceful for commerce and businesses to thrive.
"So many companies are coming to Hyderabad, lakhs of people are getting jobs. We are getting so many investments. We have to save our city. All religions and castes should be together," he said.
Alluding to the flood of BJP leaders descending onto the city ahead of the civic body elections, the CM said these leaders did not give aid to Hyderabad when asked for help in the wake of the recent floods but now they are streaming in.
"When we asked for aid, they did not give anything but today they are flooding Hyderabad. Is this a municipal poll or national elections? To beat this lean KCR, so many people are coming," he said, mocking the BJP leaders.
Claiming that cities like Ahmedabad and Bengaluru got Central aids, but not his state, the CM asked are people of Telangana not Indians. "Didn't they give (aid) to Bengaluru? Didn't they give (aid) to Ahmedabad? What mistake did we make? This discrimination is before your eyes," he noted.
Highlighting that all kinds of BJP leaders are coming from Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka, Rao asked if they will come from all the states.
"I am telling you one thing, KCR is your child. He is the son of Telangana soil, a child of determination," Rao said, as he sought votes from the audience for the civic body polls.
He also criticised the two national parties, the Congress and the BJP, for failing to end poverty, hunger and homelessness.
Attacking the BJP, the TRS chief asked why it is trying to sell LIC, BHEL, Railways and other public sector units? He criticised the Central government's attitude of selling PSUs.
"TRS will fight for the PSUs, we will unite the country," said Rao.
Taking a jibe at Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, who campaigned in Hyderabad on Saturday, Rao said his own state is not in good shape but he wants to guide the people of Hyderabad.
"We are number one in terms of per capita income, while UP is placed 28th out of the 29 states," he said.
Rao said the state government gave Rs 650 crore to 6.5 lakh households hit by the recent floods and promised that the scheme will be resumed immediately after the elections.
The Chief Minister also said that he has a dream of supplying water round the clock in Hyderabad, which he wants to fulfill in the future, provided God blesses him and the people cooperate.
He said the scheme of 20,000 litres of free water has also been extended to apartment residents. "Any programme that TRS does, there will be no discrimination on the lines of caste, creed or religion," Rao asserted.
Rao also promised that Rs 10,000 crore would be set aside every year to declog the city's drains and repair the drainage and sweage systems.
He also said that industries which are in the middle of the cities by virtue of the city outgrowing their earlier exterior location will be shifted out to avoid pollution.
"We have treated every person living in Hyderabad as our child. Since the past seven years, their safety has been our responsibility. We have not made any discrimination in terms of religion or caste," Rao said.