Remarks on RTC stir my own: K Keshav Rao

Telangana Rashtra Samithi secretary general K Keshav Rao who on Monday urged the TSRTC unions to call of their strike and requested the government to call the unions for discussions, has said that his statement was his own. In remarks made late after he reached the city from New Delhi on Monday night, Keshav Rao clarified that he did not discuss the issue with Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, either before issuing his statement or afterwards.

“I am a socialist and concerned about workers. My views are a reflection of my anguish over the suicide by two RTC workers and did not want things to get out of hand. At the same time, I will be happy to assist in any way I can to bring a resolution to the ongoing strike,” he said.

Keshav Rao also said he never offered to mediate between the unions and the government but “if instructed to do so by the Chief Minister, I would gladly do it”. “This is not a party problem but an issue facing the government. I also believe that it is not possible for TSRTC to be merged with the government. I am not sure what exactly the



government’s views are on this matter. But I believe that RTC unions should sit with the government and hold discussions,” he added.

Meanwhile, The Joint Action Committee of TSRTC unions declared that there was no question of withdrawing the 11-day old strike by RTC workers in the State.

The JAC convenor Aswathama Reddy was speaking with reporters outside the Telangana High Court in the afternoon after the HC concluded hearings for the day on the strike from both the government and the agitating employees’ sides.

Aswathama Reddy said nobody from the government side, including TRS party secretary general K Keshav Rao or anyone else, had spoken with the JAC about the strike. “The government is playing mind games,” he alleged.

The court, he said, suggested that the two sides sit down for discussions. He, however, made it clear that it was for the government to call for talks and if that was done, then the JAC was willing to sit with the government and discuss all issues.