Congress senior leader and former MP V. Hanumantha Rao has strongly condemned the decision of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to present a Rs 3.5 crore-worth gold crown to Goddess Bhadrakali in Warangal.
Speaking to media persons at the Bathukamma celebrations at Bathukamma Lake in Amberpet on Saturday, VHR said that it was wrong for a Chief Minister to offer costly gifts to places of religious worship. He said KCR could do so at person level, but he has no right to spend public money for the purpose. “There are thousands of poor families in Telangana who are unable to celebrate Dassera festival. Instead of offering a gold crown to the Goddess, the same money could be given to poor families,” he advised.
VHR also condemned the State Government for giving Rs. 15 crore to Telangana Jagruthi, the NGO of Chief Minister’s daughter and Nizamabad MP K. Kavitha. He alleged that Kavitha was collecting huge funds in the name of celebrating Bathukamma at global level.
The former MP also asked the government to remove encroachments from the Bathukamma Kunta in Amberpet.
CPI leaders Sudhakar Reddy, Ch. Venkat Reddy and Aziz Pasha also participated in the Bathukamma celebrations. (INN)