Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Thursday that nobody can cow him down and that he is not a slave to anyone.
Asserting that nobody can intimidate him, the CM said he can be won only with friendship.
“Nobody can cow me down. You can win me only with friendship. I am ready to do anything in friendship,” he said while addressing a public meeting in the old city of Hyderabad after inaugurating a flyover along with Hyderabad MP and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi.
“I am not a slave to anybody. I am a slave only to friendship,” said the Chief Minister.
His remarks came hours after Konda Surekha accused him of blackmailing the Congress high command to remove her from the Cabinet.
After the high command’s nod, the Chief Minister on Thursday decided to drop her from the Council of Ministers and sent a letter to the Governor.
Revanth Reddy also stated that he has a long political career ahead. “I have to be amidst you for another 25 years. I have not entered politics to go back,” he told people.
The Chief Minister said that he has a personal friendship with Asaduddin Owaisi. He also reacted to the AIMIM chief’s advice to demonstrate his aggressive style of politics.
“You can be aggressive in opposition, but while in power you will have a responsibility. You have to be soft and take everyone along,” he said.
He also remarked that as the Chief Minister, he can get many works done with a mere ‘stare’, but he would like to get the works done by winning hearts and by carrying everybody along.
Owaisi, during his speech on the occasion, also made a significant remark that AIMIM is supporting the government only because of Revanth Reddy and not because of the Congress party.
The MP thanked Revanth Reddy for releasing funds and for giving approvals for development works in the old city.
He noted that while the foundation stone for the Chanchalguda-Santoshnagar Steel Flyover was laid by the previous BRS government, the work started only after Revanth Reddy released the funds.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the 3.32-km, four-lane Chanchalguda-Santoshnagar Steel Flyover, constructed at a cost of Rs 620 crore.
Owaisi also praised the Chief Minister for ensuring resumption of stalled works on Metro Rail connectivity to the old city by sanctioning Rs 2,200 crore and for approving a cable bridge across Mir Alam Tank at a cost of Rs 400 crore.
Revanth Reddy assured all support for the development of the old city, describing it as the original city and the pride of the people.
The Chief Minister also dismissed the allegations made against AIMIM and Owaisi. “Some people say AIMIM and Owaisi are against the country, but I have seen how he came out in support of the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor. We may have political differences, but nobody can suspect the patriotism of Asaduddin Owaisi and Akbaruddin Owaisi. They are no less patriots than Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,” he said.
The CM asserted that Telangana will develop only when the Hindus and Muslims are united and move together.
He reiterated that he would give priority to development and speak politics only during the elections.
CM Revanth Reddy castigated the opposition BRS and BJP for creating hurdles to the prestigious Musi Rejuvenation project. He said that the State government has taken up the Musi project aiming to create a night-time economy in the city. The project also ensured job opportunities for the local poor Muslim community.
The Chief Minister announced that the Metro Rail project between Gowliguda and Chandrayanagutta would be completed by the next Assembly elections. The CM reiterated that he will visit the old city on the Metro Rail to seek votes in the next elections.
