Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Sep 7: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday alleged a conspiracy to remove one crore voters from the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP was attempting to delete anti-BJP votes under the guise of the SIR, particularly targeting voters belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and minority communities.

He was speaking at a programme organised to pay tributes to Communist leader Sarampally Malla Reddy, who passed away recently.

The Chief Minister called for unity among all non-BJP parties to fight the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the national level.

“Unable to win elections democratically, they are adopting new tactics. BJP leaders are brazenly declaring that they will replicate in Telangana what they did in West Bengal. They are systematically removing anti-BJP votes,” he alleged.

Revanth Reddy claimed that the BJP was using private agencies to conduct surveys and systematically delete voters' names. He also accused the party of using the Election Commission for its political agenda.

He questioned the silence of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on the SIR and urged Communist parties to understand the alleged political understanding behind it.

The Chief Minister stressed the need to protect the fundamental rights and voting rights of the poor and minorities. Recalling the Communists' long-standing struggle for the rights of the poor, he said the sight of the Red Flag continues to provide a sense of reassurance to them.

He urged Left parties to work towards safeguarding the voting rights of poor and minority communities.

Revanth Reddy recalled that Communists had fought for fair wages for landless labourers, while the Congress government enacted the Minimum Wages Act. He said that while Communists raised the demand for “land to the tiller”, the Congress government distributed 24.56 lakh acres of assigned land.

He added that 10 lakh acres of land are currently in the hands of Adivasis, describing this as the Congress party's response to issues raised through Communist movements.

The Chief Minister said the Congress government also provided employment through the Employment Guarantee Act and enacted the Food Security Act, addressing several issues championed by the Communists.

Recalling Sarampally Malla Reddy's contribution to the farming community, Revanth Reddy said the Communist leader had dedicated his life to the cause of farmers and described his death as an irreparable loss.

He said Malla Reddy had an unparalleled understanding of farmers' problems and was known for articulating their concerns with clarity and refinement. He also recalled the late leader's vigorous campaigns for the rights of tenant farmers and remunerative prices for agricultural produce.

Revanth Reddy assured that his government would work to address agrarian issues by taking into consideration the books written by Malla Reddy and the causes he championed.

He said the government would decide on measures to perpetuate Malla Reddy's memory after discussions in the Cabinet.