Never wanted to be CM, rooted for KT Rama Rao: Eatala Rajender

KARIMNAGAR: Former Minister Eatala Rajender on Tuesday said he had never entertained any ambition of becoming the chief minister of the State, if that was the reason for his dismissal from the Cabinet and the inquires ordered into his alleged encroachment of assigned lands in Medak district.  “In fact, I always wanted KT Rama Rao to succeed his father K Chandrasekhar Rao and be the Chief Minister. I suspect that someone told the CM that I was making moves to become the chief minister. If that is the case, what can I do?” he asked.

Speaking to mediapersons in Huzurabad, Rajender questioned what was wrong if he spoke to leaders of other parties. “In the TRS, no one is supposed to meet anyone belonging to a different party. It is verboten,” he said, and wondered how one could justify this rule.  

The former minister said charges were being framed against him all because he never prostrated before those in high places in the party and the government. “It was a vindictive action against me,” he said. “The one-sided inquiry was done by IAS officials, which is very deplorable,” he said.

Rajender welcomed the interim directions given by the High Court restraining the government from taking any coercive action against him and his family members. “It is heartening that the courts are coming to the rescue of the persons wronged,” he said.

He  lashed out at the CM, who he said had forsaken dharma since 2014 when he became the chief minister of the newly formed Telangana State. “There was no need for him to dismiss me from the Cabinet. Had he asked my resignation, I would have given it immediately,” he lamented. He said that he would seek the opinion of people in his constituency before deciding to resign as an MLA.  Earlier in the day, he interacted with NRIs in the US over a zoom call.