Accusing the Telangana police and election commission of being highly biased and working for the ruling TRS party, TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said he fears Assembly elections may not be held in a free and fair manner.
Speaking at ‘Meet The Press’ organised by the Press Club Hyderabad here, Mr. Reddy alleged that Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana and the Director General of Police were ignoring the violations of the ruling party and targeting the opposition parties and their cadre.
The way the Gajwel Congress candidate, Vonteru Pratap Reddy contesting against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao was harassed by the police and the returning officer was a clear indication of the inclination of the police towards the TRS. He is being implicated in false cases for submitting video evidence to the police and election authorities on distribution of money and liquor by the ruling party in every village.
Mr. Reddy charged that KCR has destroyed all the democratic institutions including the media that is either intimidated or lured. I have not seen any CM earlier personally calling up editors and asking them to highlight his falsehood on Page 1 through attractive headlines, he alleged. All false claims and illusionary ideas of KCR were promptly propagated by the newspapers and channels and they don’t question for forgetting them.
Citing the recent Reserve Bank of India (RBI) report, he said it clearly mentioned that Telangana’s finances were precarious and it would permanently be a debt ridden state but the media has suppressed it. Stating that the People’s Front would defeat the TRS hands down and appealed to the media to expose the false promises of the TRS Government.
Mr. Reddy hinted that several top TRS leaders were in touch with him and they would join the Congress party very soon and appealed to the TRS cadre to join the Congress to free people from the ‘clutches’ of the KCR family.
On the promises made in the manifesto, he said all were practical and possible. “We implemented farm loan waiver at one go across the nation and similarly gave free power to farmers when everyone said it was impossible.
He also said the next Government of the People’s Front would ensure housing plots to all journalists and steps would be taken to provide education, health and other benefits to the journalists and their families. He also promised that the Hyderabad Press Club would be transformed into the best Press Club in India.