Unidentified persons dug a grave of Jagat Prakash Nadda, national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Choutuppal town to protest his failure in setting up the Fluoride Research and Mitigation Centre. JP Nadda visited Marriguda mandal in Choutuppal in 2016 as Union Health Minister, and had promised to establish a research centre, a 300-bed hospital and financial assistance to the fluoride victims. The same year, the Telangana government had allocated an 8.2-acre plot in Dandu Malkapuram for setting up the institute. But things came to a standstill after that since the central government did not release any funds towards setting up the Centre. The locals demonstrated their anger and symbolically buried him in the same plot allocated for the research centre along with his picture.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) working president KT Rama Rao took to Twitter to question BJP about the promises and wrote, “Just Jumlas & Jhoot is what BJP & Nadda is all about (sic).” In response, several BJP leaders claimed that TRS had stooped too low in light of the upcoming election in Munugode. Union Minister Smriti Irani reacted to the incident and tweeted, “The party (TRS) has set a new low in Indian politics.”
Vishnu Vardhan Reddy, BJP general secretary of Andhra Pradesh, hit back at TRS, saying that KT Rama Rao, was frustrated with the BJP as it was gaining momentum in the state. He tweeted that the act was ‘psychotic’ and ‘beyond disgusting.’ Former Chief Minister of Jharkhand Raghubar Das, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and other prominent BJP leaders lashed out at TRS on Twitter.
In 2016, as Union Health Minister @JPNadda Ji promised but did his NPA Govt deliver?
— KTR (@KTRTRS) October 20, 2022
Just Jumlas & Jhoot is what BJP & Nadda is all about https://t.co/QWTE8dgnvN
This is despicable!
— Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (@SVishnuReddy) October 20, 2022
TRS workers made a grave of our Hon'ble President which is beyond disgusting even going by @trspartyonline std.
Everyone knows @KTRTRS is frustrated with growing strata of @BJP4India but imagine if 18 crore members of BJP starts doing same to TRS!@blsanthosh pic.twitter.com/cdDP6x6nTA
Simple & straight question to @SmritiIrani, @JM_Scindia, @KushSundar, @Dasraghubar, @Kiranjijju etc
— YSR (@ysathishreddy) October 20, 2022
You found objection in something done by victims. What about this by your Official Spokesperson of BJP? He is Calling for a funeral procession of a elected chief minister! pic.twitter.com/LEKrP777id
TRS social media convenor Y Satish Reddy promptly responded and asked BJP leaders if they found objection only in something done by victims. He pointed to incidents where BJP leaders had called for a funeral procession of the elected CM in public gatherings.
The bye-election in Munugode was necessitated by the resignation of Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy from the Congress, who won the seat in 2018. Reddy, who jumped to BJP, is now their candidate in the coming elections. The TRS announced former MLA Kusukuntla Prabhakar Reddy as its candidate while the Congress chose former Rajya Sabha Member Palvai Sravanthi Reddy as its contestant. The poll is scheduled to be held on November 3.