Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has termed the Union Budget 2024 as a “Kursi Bachao Budget” of the Naidu-Nitish Dependent Alliance (NDA). He alleges that the budget is a quid pro quo arrangement, favoring Andhra Pradesh and Bihar while neglecting Telangana’s needs. Addressing the media, Revanth criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not allocating funds for Telangana projects assured in the AP Reorganisation Act. He also accused Union Minister G Kishan Reddy of failing to defend Telangana’s interests.
Revanth pointed out the absence of any mention of Telangana in the budget, suggesting that the Centre is acting with vengeance against the state. He urged Kishan Reddy to step down if he couldn’t protect Telangana’s interests and called for a state Assembly discussion on the lack of funds allocated to Telangana. Revanth invited Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao to join the debate if he is not a “stooge of Modi like Kishan Reddy”.
The Telangana Chief Minister criticized the BJP’s slogan “Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” as bogus, questioning why Telangana was excluded from the Centre’s vision of a developed India by 2047. He emphasized the importance of Hyderabad in achieving the USD 5 trillion economy goal, highlighting key projects like Metro rail expansion, Musi riverfront development, and the ITIR corridor that need funding for development, investment, and job creation.
Revanth expressed that he wasn’t opposed to the Centre funding major projects in Andhra Pradesh under the AP Reorganisation Act but questioned why similar constitutional guarantees for Telangana were not fulfilled. He pointed out the lack of funds for critical projects like the Central Tribal University, Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme, Bayyaram Steel Plant, and Kazipet Coach Factory.
He reminded that Telangana gave 38% votes to BJP in the Lok Sabha elections, electing 8 BJP MPs, only to face neglect in return. Announcing plans to gather support from other southern states and protest in Parliament, Revanth emphasized that the state government is determined to secure the necessary funds for Telangana’s development.
