KCR has lost grip on the state, says BJP on TSRTC employee issue

Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday issued a statement slamming Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao of not fulfilling the demands of the protesting RTC employees and alleged that the 'head of the government has lost grip on the state'.

"BJP believes that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao both as head of the government and as people's leader has lost grip on the state. KCR's multiple deadlines are not working with 48000 RTC employees on strike. The last one which expired yesterday midnight was the third one in the last 32 days. It is a huge loss of face for KCR," a letter by Krishna Saagar Rao, Chief Spokesperson, BJP Telangana read.

The statement from the BJP comes after the Telangana Chief Minister's Office warned the striking TSRTC staff that if they fail to resume duty by the deadline of November 5, the state government will not take them back.

Further venting anger at the ruling government, the party claimed that people in Telangana have lost respect for the Chief Minister following his notice to agitated RTC employees.

"It is evident that people of Telangana have lost respect for his statements, warnings and deadlines. They have lost trust, reliability and are openly denouncing his decisions. BJP feels, this is the beginning of the eventual downfall of CM KCR and his party TRS. It is also time for senior administrative officers to give up on CM KCR. We are very confident that it will happen sooner than later," the organisation further stated in its letter

The senior leader also accused the Telangana government of forcing state officials to "manufacture lies, manipulate documents and mis-represent facts."

"With High Court summoning the state chief secretary and other senior IAS officials to be physically present for the court proceedings on November, 7, there's a big possibility of a serious and impactful order by the high court against the state government. It is almost established by open statements made by the honourable judges of the High Court in the last few proceedings that even senior officers are being forced to manufacture lies, manipulate documents and misrepresent facts," the letter read.

"This has been a regular practice in KCR's governance throughout and now the officers certainly understand that in this case they stand totally exposed. What the senior administrative officers have been doing with the High Court amounts to perjury and if proven can lead them straight to jail," the letter further claimed.

Employees of the TSRTC have been on strike for the past few weeks now and they have been demanding the government to fulfil their 26 demands.

However, the state government declared the strike as 'illegal'. The RTC Union approached the High Court and the case is still pending before the divisional bench.

The government has clearly stated that the main demand to merge RTC with the government is not possible. TSRTC workers union has been on a strike since October 5 demanding merger of the corporation with the state government and revision of pay among other demands.