HYDERABAD: At a time when an intense debate is going on in the two Telugu-speaking states over the behaviour of North Indian leaders towards their southern counterparts, TRS MP K Kavitha said Hindi-speaking and other north Indian parliamentarians get preferential treatment in Parliament whereas MPs from the South get little attention.
“Northern states are more populated than
the southern. Because of this, there are more representatives from the
north. Besides, several Prime Ministers who ruled the country in the
past hailed from north. Because of all these factors, there has been
discrimination against south Indian leaders for several years,” she told
mediapersons in New Delhi on Monday.
Reacting to the ‘racist’ comments made
by BJP leader Tarun Vijay on south Indians, Kavitha said strengthening
the regional parties was the only solution to checkmate the north Indian
hegemony which is due to the higher number of MP seats from north.
The TRS MP expressed admiration for TDP
founder NT Rama Rao and Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu for trying to
retain the identity of the southern people.
AP chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu
and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, tried to retain the
individuality of the south at the national level with their respective
regional parties, she said and praised both for their continuous efforts
to strengthen regional parties in the country.
Taking potshots at the major national
parties, BJP and Congress, the TRS MP further said, “Only after the
advent of regional parties in the south has the voice of southern people
begun getting heard at national level.”
On Tarun Vijay’s comments on the
complexion of south Indians, she said, “His comments are very
unfortunate. As he has already expressed regret for his unsavoury
remarks, let us leave the issue there. But, by making such comments,
leaders like him are lowering their stature.” www.newindianexpress.com/states/telangana/2017/apr/11/its-norths-hegemony-in-parliament-kavitha-1592343.html
