Telangana Finance Minister T. Harish Rao criticized Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Thursday, accusing her of hampering the development of the state by stalling key bills.
In an informal conversation with the media, Harish Rao stated that the Governor had kept nine bills pending for seven months, and some of them were only returned after the state government approached the Supreme Court.
"The medical bill was aimed at increasing the age limit of professors as we have a shortage of professors. Similarly, the Forest University Bill was stopped, which provides employment for some unemployed people and offers education to the youth. The same was the case with private universities bill. By rejecting these bills, she has achieved nothing except stopping the progress of the state," he said.
He also questioned the Governor's action in not giving consent for a bill for seven private universities while she had cleared a similar bill two years ago.
Referring to a common recruitment board, the minister said that it was there in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra and explained why it should not be so here.
Harish Rao said that Governor Tamilsai calls Telangana "my state" and "my government" but is working to stop the development of the state. It was nothing but backstabbing, he said.
The state finance minister also slammed the Governor for certain comments she made during the G-20 meeting on Wednesday. Taking a dig at Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, Tamilisai had allegedly stated that it is easy to meet heads of foreign nations but not the Chief Minister.
READ | Not Invited For Inauguration Of New Secretariat, Claims Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan
She had said, "Even warring nations are breaking barriers, but it is very unfortunate that the Raj Bhavan and Pragathi Bhavan cannot do so for the sake of the state." Harish Rao argued that by making such comments the Governor had lowered the state's honor on that forum.
On the Governor's allegation that she was not invited to the inauguration of the state secretariat, Harish Rao asked if there was a provision in the Constitution to call for the Governor’s presence on such occasions.
He said that it was the prerogative of the elected government to decide whom to invite. He wondered whether the President of India was invited by the Prime Minister while laying foundation stone for the new Parliament building. ‘Did he invite the President while flagging off the Vande Bharat trains either?’ he asked.
(With IANS inputs)