Congress president Rahul Gandhi kick-started his party’s election campaign in Telangana on the right note on Saturday with a promise to make the people’s dream of Telangana State a reality.
Mr. Gandhi, flew down from Nanded in neighbouring Maharashtra State to address two public meeting in Bhainsa and Kamareddy and later at historic Charminar where he commemorated the Rajiv Sadhbhavana Yatra undertaken by his late father former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi more than two decades ago.
Mr. Gandhi in his hard hitting speeches at the two rallies targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and caretaker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for what he called their wrong policies and non-performance. He said that the original dream of Telangana remained unaccomplished despite the formation of the State about five years ago.
Long wait
At Bhainsa Mr. Gandhi said: “You have lost five years since you dreamt of an egalitarian State. Together we will make Telangana a corruption-free State where there are no farmer suicides.” The AICC president’s speech in Hindi went down well with the crowd in the Marathi-Hindi belt located close to Nanded district of Maharashtra. He promised to legislate the Adivasi Bill if the Congress returns to power at the Centre in order to ensure the tribals get their rights related to land. “We will implement the Land Acquisition Bill in Telangana to protect the rights of Adivasis on their lands,” he said.
Corruption factor
Mr. Gandhi dwelt upon the corruption factor and equated Prime Minister Narender and caretaker Chief Minister. The latter enhanced the cost of several projects in the name of re-engineering and indulged in corruption while the former had benefited his ‘friend’ by ₹ 30,000 crore through the Rafale fighter aircraft deal.
The Congress leader accused Mr. Rao of insulting the great Dr. B.R. Ambedkar by renaming the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella Lift Irrigation Scheme as Kaleshwaram Project. He also enhanced the cost of the project from ₹ 38,000 crore to ₹ 1 lakh crore just to benefit his family through corrupt deals, he added.
‘People’s government’
Talking of the salient points from his party’s manifesto, Mr. Gandhi said his party would waive off crop loans to the extent of ₹ 2 lakh and enhance minimum support price of cotton to ₹ 7,000 per quintal once it comes back to power after the coming election. He also promised the youth of unemployment allowance of ₹ 3,000 per month.
In Kamareddy, the AICC chief said that if Congress comes to power it will not run the government on the basis of caste and religion and will not drive a wedge among people.
“We will not give any scope for a single family rule and our government will be of everyone. We will administer involving all,” he said.
Honest effort
Mr. Gandhi said that future Congress chief minister will dedicate 18 hours a day to make all out efforts to honestly fulfil poll promises.
He said that KCR could not give at least 10,000 jobs during his four-and-a-half year rule but the Congress government would fill one lakh vacancies within a year.
“I have not come here to make false promises. If you want to listen to the lies and insincere words you may go to the meetings of Narendra Modi and KCR. Otherwise, if you want to hear ethical and sincere promises you may please come to us,” the AICC president said on a sarcastic note.
Revival of NSF
Seeking to convince the people that only the Congress would abide by its words and realize their dreams, he said that his party government would give a top priority to the revival of beedi industry, Nizam Sugar Factory and also the issue of Gulf migrants who constituted a substantial number from the area.
TPCC president N. Uttamkumar Reddy, senior leaders Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Sabitha Indira Reddy, A. Revanth Reddy and A. Maheshwar Reddy, former Union ministers S. Jaipal Reddy and Sarvey Satyanaraana, Opposition leaders in Legislative Council and Assembly Mohammed Ali Shabbir and K. Jana Reddy respectively, former PCC president Ponnala Laxmaiah and TPCC working president Ponnam Prabhakar were among those who spoke at the public meetings at Bhainsa and Kamareddy.