As fear of Covid-19 infections continues to haunt Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) has confined himself to his farmhouse for the last 10 days. Meanwhile, political activist Ch Naveen Kumar has filed a writ petition in the High Court seeking his whereabout. KCR was last seen in former Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao’s anniversary celebrations.
In the meantime, several youths protested in front of his home-cum-camp office Pragathi Bhavan and displayed placards which read “Where is KCR? He is my CM”. They criticised him and said that it was not the time to take a rest in a farmhouse when there are lots of medical problems in the state. Apart from this, concerns and speculations were also raised on KCR’s health.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee working president and Malkajgiri MP, Revanth Reddy tweeted that the state government should issue a health bulletin to remove fears of the people about the chief minister’s health.
The Opposition also took a jibe at CM’s prolonged absence from the public view and called the entire episode ‘a drama’ to gain public sympathy. Senior Congress leader G. Narayana Reddy, while addressing the press said, «CM KCR neither addressed a press conference nor held any review meeting at Pragathi Bhavan since June 29. We are also concerned about him and his health and pray to God that he stays in good health. I doubt he is hiding in his farmhouse for sympathy. Why such a drama?”
Amid this entire political drama and mudslinging, the coronavirus situation in Telangana is worsening every day. Almost every third test in Hyderabad is now turning positive. The state is only testing symptomatic and critical patients and so far, has conducted around 2 lakh tests only.
Fear of coronavirus is gripping residents of Telangana and according to senior journalist Ankababu, around 25 lakh people of Hyderabad have left the city.