Tribal candidate a tokenism: KTR

New Delhi: TRS working president and Telangana IT Minister K T Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday described as "tokenism" the NDA's decision to field a tribal candidate for the presidential election, and said the Modi government has done nothing for the uplift of the community in the last eight years.

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is supporting the Opposition's candidate Yashwant Sinha to uphold the constitutional values which are under attack in the Modi regime, he said. The TRS leader was in the national capital to extend support to Sinha, who filed nomination his papers in the Parliament House on Monday.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded tribal leader and former Jharkhand governor Droupadi Murmu as its candidate in the presidential poll to be held on July 18. "We don't believe in tokenism. It is not about Murmu's candidature. She represents a party which is heavily reliant on unconstitutional practices. Therefore, we are vehemently opposing the BJP candidate," Rao told reporters. He alleged that the Modi government has been abusing all constitutional offices and there is a need to stop this.

"Someone has to raise voice against this," he said. Even the plight of Dalits has not changed much after Ram Nath Kovind, a member of the community, became the President, he added. Stating that BJP has not done anything for the welfare of the tribal community in the last eight years, the TRS leader said a tribal university was promised for Telangana as part of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act but it has not seen the light of the day yet.