BRS celebrating Deeksha Diwas in Telangana
Hyderabad: Congress president in Telangana, B Mahesh Kumar Goud, on Friday, alleged that the indefinite fast undertaken by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) in 2009 for state formation was a “drama.”
BRS MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav reacted to his statement, saying, “The whole world knows that Telangana would not have been possible without the role of KCR.”
On November 29, 2009, KCR announced an indefinite hunger strike demanding a separate Telangana state.
Responding to the BRS celebrating November 29 as ‘Deeksha Diwas’ to mark the anniversary of KCR’s fast, he said the BRS is now trying to rake up regional sentiment among people to revive itself following a string of electoral defeats.
“BRS says Telangana was achieved because KCR undertook the indefinite fast by putting his life at stake. The fast undertaken by KCR was a drama. Telangana became a reality not because of the fast. Telangana State became a reality because of Sonia Gandhiji,” Goud told reporters here.
Sonia Gandhi, who was UPA chairperson then, had decided in favour of Telangana formation by recognising the struggle of students of Osmania University and others, he said.
KCR’s fast was not genuine as he took several vitamins and fluids, he said.
KCR’s fast cannot be compared with the 56-day fast undertaken by Potti Sriramulu in 1952 for the formation of Andhra state or the 16-year-long hunger strike of Manipur activist Irom Sharmila, he said.
BRS should call off its proposed ‘Deeksha Diwas’ on November 29 and perform milk ‘abhishekam’ to the portraits of Sonia Gandhi instead, he said.
KCR did have a role in Telangana formation, but it is wrong to say that the state was formed because of him, the PCC president said.
Taking exception to Goud’s comments, BRS MLA Talasani Srinivas Yadav said the whole world knows that Telangana would not have been possible without the role of KCR.
Speaking ill of KCR does not change history, he said.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao responded sharply to Congress’s statements and stated, “During the Telangana movement, no one knew where the PCC president was. Today he talks recklessly about KCR’s fast.”
Addressing a gathering at Telangana Bhavana on Friday, KTR said that Congress was ‘conveniently forgetting’ the fact that it was them who had asked KCR to withdraw his fast, stating that his life had become crucial for the political decision on Telangana.
KTR further went on to call Congress a ‘permanent villain’ in Telangana’s story and said its hands are ‘stained with the blood of Telangana’s children’. He asked the ruling party to prove its moral courage by making the 10 rebel MLAs resign and face fresh elections.
BRS had thanked Sonia Gandhi out of courtesy after statehood, but never called her a ‘Bali Devatha of Telangana,’ like the present Chief Minister, Revanth Reddy, KTR said.
KTR said Congress has deceived Telangana by suppressing leaders, poaching elected representatives, and diluting the state’s identity. He announced that BRS will restore the state’s pride by replacing the Rajiv Gandhi statue at the Secretariat entrance with the statue of Telangana Talli.
“Diksha Diwas must be celebrated like Dussehra or Deepavali—not for rituals, but for the reminder of good triumphing over evil. Just as August 15 recalls colonial exploitation, November 29 and December 9 must remind people of the injustices, broken promises, and the deaths of over 1,000 youth caused by Congress.” KTR stated.
(With inputs from PTI)
This post was last modified on November 29, 2025 4:45 pm