KCR should support Meira Kumar, not Kovind: Uttam

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy asked Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to support the candidature of Meira Kumar and not Ramnath Kovind in the Presidential elections.

In an informal chat with media persons at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy reminded KCR that Meira Kumar played a key role in formation of Telangana. "If there are two persons responsible for Telangana formation, one is Congress president Sonia Gandhi and another is Meira Kumar," he said. He reminded that as the then Speaker of Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar ensured passing of Telangana Bill in the House. She foiled all attempts made by the opponents of Telangana to stop the bifurcation and took some unprecedented decisions and steps to pass the Bill. "Every citizen of Telangana will remain indebted to Meira Kumar for her role in Telangana formation. After Sonia Gandhi, it was Meira Kumar who turned the dream of Telangana into a reality," he said.

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Meira Kumar is secular and democratic and has political legacy of former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram. "NDA candidate Ramnath Kovind comes from RSS background and in a diverse country like ours, it would not be appropriate for a person with narrow religious considerations to be President of India. He pointed out on March 26, 2010, Ramnath Kovind, as the then BJP spokesperson, had opposed the Ranganath Mishra Commission Report which recommended 10% reservation for Muslims and 5% reservation for other minorities. Kovind, in the same press meet, opposed Dalit Status for Dalit Christians," he said.

"Should any secular person in the Telangana vote for Ramnath Kovind for his remarks wherein he had described Islam and Christianity as alien to India?" asked Uttam Kumar Reddy adding that the President of India should have a clean and secular image and must be equally acceptable to all sections of the society. He appealed to the electorates from Telangana State to vote as per their conscience in the Presidential elections.

Former Union Minister S. Jaipal Reddy, ex-MP Ponnam Prabhakar and TPCC Vice-President Dr. Mallu Ravi were also present.