The much anticipated tour of the AICC president, Rahul Gandhi, will be marked by a visit to the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park, which has a huge emotional relation to the separate State.
The Congress party has carefully planned the tour that will touch upon all the emotional issues attached to Telangana struggle and the visit to Gun Park is part of the strategy.
“Mr. Gandhi will pay respect to the martyrs as he knows the value of their sacrifices and how the then party chief, Sonia Gandhi was moved by their deaths,” the TPCC chief, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy told The Hindu. He also wants to send a message that the party cared for sacrifices than politics and how the present government has forgotten all that.
The visit to Osmania University was also part of that plan since the varsity students played a key role in infusing the emotional angle to the movement, a senior leader said.
Cong. slams TRS, MIM
The Congress leaders have said the TRS government and MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi were afraid of Mr Gandhi’s visit to the city and it reflected in the way they tried to “obstruct” his meetings at every point, denying permission or bringing pressure on people not to give venues.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy who spoke to the media along with senior leaders including AICC in-charge R.C Khuntial, K. Jana Reddy, Shabbir Ali, V. Hanumantha Rao, Revanth Reddy, Geeta Reddy, A. Sampath Kumar and Sabita Indra Reddy asked why TRS was afraid of Rahul Gandhi's entry into OU campus? The meeting of students and unemployed youth is now shifted to Saroornagar indoor stadium.
Similarly, the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Society that manages Hockey ground near Masab Tank first agreed to give the venue but later backed out “apparently on the instructions” of MIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi. The society’s president is the local MIM leader and why will he back out unless there is pressure from his leader, asked Mr. Shabbir Ali.
Rahul’s tour
The TPCC chief said Rahul Gandhi will arrive at Shamshabad Airpot at 2.30 pm on August 13 and will address a meeting of 10,000 women SHG members at Classic Convention Centre. Later in the evening, he will address a public meeting in Serlingampalli. Next day, he will interact with editors and senior journalists and address the young CEOs of both the Telugu States. He will also speak at a meeting of students and youth in Saroornagar Stadium.