War Of Words In Poll-Bound Telangana; Now KTR Slams Congress Over DK Shivakumar's Letter To Foxconn

Hyderabad: Telangana's Minister for Information Technology and Industries K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday alleged that Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has written a letter to Foxconn Technology Group to relocate its proposed Apple AirPods plant from Hyderabad to Bengaluru even as the latter denied writing any such letter.

The Telangana unit of the Congress party has reacted strongly to KTR's claim and asked him to be prepared to face a legal battle. Addressing a lawyers' meeting as part of Bharat Rashtra Samithi's campaign for Telangana Assembly elections, KTR read out the letter purported to have been written by Shivakumar. 

The BRS working president claimed that the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister wrote to Young Liu, Chairman, Foxconn that several international industries in Hyderabad have expressed interest in relocating to Bengaluru. 

"We anticipate forming a friendly government in Telangana soon, assuring that you will encounter no hindrance there. Hence, it would be mutually beneficial for your ancillary industry to make the move as well," KTR quoted the letter.

The BRS leader said that the letter is an example of what would happen if KCR does not become chief minister for a third term. He said Telangana needs a leader who can safeguard the state's interests and not the Congress which wants to shift the industries out of Hyderabad. 

He claimed that Foxconn agreed to set up a unit in Telangana after the state government's efforts for four years. He recalled that in June last year, Foxconn chairman visited Hyderabad, met Chief Minister KCR and signed an MoU to set up a factory, which will provide employment to one lakh people. 

He pointed out that the plant is coming up on 200 acres of land in Kongara Kalan on the outskirts of Hyderabad and two floors of the building have already been completed. 

"The factory will be ready for inauguration in April-May next year," he said.  The BRS leader also said that Bengaluru has become a centre for the Congress party.  "Tickets are given not just in Delhi but also in Bangalore. Crores of rupees are being seized there. The money is being sent to Telangana," he said. 

Meanwhile, the Congress has slammed KTR for claiming that Shivakumar wrote a letter to Foxconn.  Its leaders said the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister has already denied this. 

Shivakumar termed as fake the letter circulated on social media. He posted on 'X' that an FIR has been lodged in Cybercrime Police Station. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) vice-president Kiran Kumar Reddy alleged that BRS was spreading misinformation to mislead the people of Telangana. 

He said it was a conspiracy by the BRS as it feared defeat in the Assembly elections. He said the letter was an attempt to divert public attention from the National Dam Safety Authority's report about flaws in the Mediagadda barrage of Kaleshwaram project.