Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 15 (ANI): BRS Party Working President KT Rama Rao on Saturday backed the students of NALSAR University of Law amid the ongoing issue involving the Bar Council of India (BCI), saying the youth will react when their self-respect is attacked in a democracy.
He said he saluted the NALSAR students for taking a stand and thanked the Chief Justice of India for acknowledging that the matter concerns the relationship between the judiciary and students.
Speaking to the reporters, Rao said, "The students from NALSAR have clearly conveyed to all our prominent leaders in India that in a democracy, if someone is humiliated, or if there is an attack on their self-respect, the nation's youth will inevitably react. I salute the youth who took a stand today. I also thank the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India for stepping forward and acknowledging that this matter concerns the relationship between the judiciary and the students."
"I hope and pray that such an incident, an instance of overreach, is never repeated in India. I also hope and pray that the voice of the oppressed and the voice of the people of India continue to rise and echo ever more strongly in the days to come. On this Independence Day, I extend my best wishes to all the young people of India," he said.
The Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant on Friday objected to the Bar Council of India's (BCI) circulars against NALSAR University of Law students over their objections to his proposed participation as chief guest at the university's convocation.
The CJI questioned the BCI's authority to intervene in what he described as a dialogue between him and the students.
"BCI has nothing to do with this. We are with you. Students have written a letter to me. It's a dialogue between students and me. Who are they to unnecessarily issue a circular?" the CJI said.
The remarks came as the bench of CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was hearing a plea filed by NALSAR students challenging the two BCI circulars issued on Thursday. The Court issued notice to the BCI and sought its response to the plea.
Further, KTR backed Congress MLA Raj Gopal Reddy's remarks on the denial of welfare benefits to poor beneficiaries and alleged large-scale corruption in the Telangana government.
He said he agreed with Reddy's remarks that poor people face several conditions while seeking housing assistance, whereas those in high positions are allegedly involved in corruption.
"I also fully agree with his remarks that while 500 conditions are imposed on a poor person seeking Rs 5-6 lakh for a house but those in high offices--such as the Revenue Minister, the Chief Minister, and other senior leaders of the Congress government--are siphoning off lakhs of crores through corruption," he said.
"I am in complete agreement with this and hope that Rahul Gandhi, who sits in Delhi and has effectively turned the Telangana Congress into an ATM for himself and the AICC, is listening and watching; after all, legislators from his own party are now openly speaking out about the extent of corruption in Telangana. I also hope that PM Modi is listening, as he frequently states during his visits to Telangana that the state has become an ATM for the AICC. However, no real action follows; even when an ED raid is conducted on a minister here, the ED takes no further steps thereafter," he further said.
His remarks came after Congress MLA Raj Gopal Reddy questioned his own government over the denial of benefits to eligible beneficiaries.
He criticised the state government, saying poor people are being denied housing assistance because an old auto or tractor is still registered in their name, even when it is no longer in use.
Earlier in the day, Rao, along with party workers, participated in Independence Day celebrations in Hyderabad and distributed health insurance cards to the staff of BRS Bhavan. (ANI)
"I salute the youth": KT Rama Rao backs NALSAR students amid BCI row
