Telangana Chief Minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) President K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) on Tuesday, August 1 said that his party is neither with NDA nor with INDIA allaince. “We are not with either of them. We are not alone. We have our friends,” he told reporters in Maharashtra after a day-long visit to the state. “People have seen NDA and INDIA. What is new India? They ruled for 50 years but nothing has changed. There is a need for a change,” he remarked and suggested media persons contribute to bringing a change in the country.
KCR said BRS would constitute committees in Maharashtra at various levels and they have started the work in Maharashtra. He said BRS has 14.10 lakh functionaries in the state. He said that the party has completed 50 per cent of the work in Maharashtra. In another 15 to 20 days, work will be completed in every village. KCR said Maharashtra has all the resources. There is no dearth of wealth and there are plenty of employment opportunities. He said that a city like Aurangabad was facing water scarcity.
He questioned how long will Dalit community suffer and said that they have not got their due place in Maharashtra. He said that a country like the United States kept aside discrimination to make Barack Obama the President. By doing so, the United States washed off its sins.
After reaching Kolhapur by a special aircraft, he visited Mahalakshmi Mata Ambabai temple and offered prayers. KCR later visited Wategaon and attended a public meeting organised on the occasion of 103rd birth anniversary of eminent poet and writer Annabhav Sathe. He demanded that the Union should confer Bharat Ratna on Sathe. Calling Annabhau Sathe a great poet, KCR called for translating his literature into national and foreign languages. Observing that Annabhau Sathe’s works are universal, KCR said that Russia has already recognised Sathe’s services to literature but India has not recognised.
KCR said that the successive governments at the Union failed to honour Annabhau Sathe, who was born in a Dalit family and was a popular person from Matang community. Sathe’s writings, literature and his struggle for the downtrodden are commendable. KCR said that as a communist and an Ambedkarite, Sathe continuously worked for the establishment of an egalitarian society throughout his life. Annabhav Sathe's grandson Sachin Bhav Sathe and Sachin Sathe's mother Savitribhai Sathe were present.
KCR also visited Chatrapathi Sahu Maharaj memorial at Kolhapur.