Key Points

Rama Rao, who had accepted the Chief Minister's challenge for the debate, reached the Press Club along with several party leaders.

Addressing the party leaders, he alleged that the Chief Minister was running away from debate after throwing the challenge.

"We came to know that the Chief Minister is in Delhi. We were ready for debate with Deputy Chief Minister, Agriculture Minister or any Minister but nobody turned up," he said.

He alleged that 600 farmers committed suicide during the last 18 months. He said the Congress betrayed people after coming to power by making 420 promises and six guarantees.

KTR claimed that he has brought the list of farmers who committed suicide, whose loans were not waived and who were not given a bonus and the financial aid under Rythu Bharosa.

Stating that water, funds and jobs were the key issues during the Telangana movement, KTR alleged that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is diverting river waters to his friend, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, sending funds to Delhi and giving jobs to his people.

On the reports that Revanth Reddy was visiting Delhi to get "fertiliser bags" for the state, the BRS leader remarked that "people know what bags he was carrying to Delhi to save his chair".

Police stepped up security at Press Club since morning as a large number of BRS leaders and workers gathered there.

Before leaving for Press Club, KTR told media persons at the BRS office, Telangana Bhavan, that he was ready to debate on farm loan waiver, bonus for paddy and all other issues related to farmers.

Addressing a meeting of Congress workers on July 4 in the presence of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the Chief Minister had thrown a challenge for public debate on what the previous BRS government did and what the Congress government was doing for the welfare of farmers.

Accepting the challenge, KTR had offered to meet at any location chosen by the Chief Minister - whether in CM Reddy's constituency Kodangal, his native village Kondareddypally, or even at the Ambedkar statue or Somajiguda Press Club in Hyderabad. When there was no response from the Chief Minister, the BRS leader declared that he was ready for debate at the Press Club.

The BRS leader said that it has become the Chief Minister's habit to run away after throwing a challenge for debates.

KTR said he was ready for a debate with the Chief Minister on any issue.

KTR said that they were ready for debate even in the Assembly, provided their mikes were not cut in the middle.

The former minister alleged that the Congress government failed to implement even one out of 420 poll promises. He said the BRS had been questioning the government for the last 18 months for failing to honour its commitments.

- IANS