Congress to hold its massive 17 September rally on 100 acres in Tukkuguda on Hyderabad’s outskirts

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BRS and ‘chillar politics’

Meanwhile, state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy, speaking to media persons on Saturday, 9 September, alleged that IT Minister and BRS working president KT Rama Rao had warned the management of the hotel — where the party proposes to hold the CWC meeting on 16 and 17 September — against letting its premises for the event.

He said the BRS government was resorting “chillar (cheap) politics” by trying to deny permission to hold the public meeting. “The BRS’ attempts to foil the meetings are born out of fear that if the rally is held, the BRS would be as good as dead,” he said.

The Congress party’s bid to get permission for use of the Parade Grounds seemed remote as it comes under the administrative purview of the Defence Ministry. Also, Union Minister Amit Shah is likely to be attending an official event to mark “Telangana Liberation Day” at the venue.

The party later considered LB Stadium in the city as a possible venue, but it would have required police permission, which the Congress felt the ruling BRS government may deny.

Revanth Reddy said: “We wanted to hold the public meeting at Parade Grounds, but the Union government, led by BJP, denied permission as the land is owned by the Ministry of Defence. When we sought permission to hold the public meeting at Gachibowli stadium, again permission was denied.

“Finally, when we decided to hold the public meeting at Tukkuguda, the government refused permission on the ground that they were temple lands and that the rules did not permit their use for public purposes.”

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Private land for rally

But the farmers of the Tukkuguda area have come to the aid of the party, offering an estimated 100 acres away from the temple lands for the Congress to organise its public meeting.

The party has said the event would be as huge as the Khammam rally held on 2 July, where senior leader Rahul Gandhi had announced ₹4,000 per month as pension for senior citizens.

After the finalisation of the venue, Revanth Reddy, slammed Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for showing disrespect to Sonia Gandhi by denying permission on flimsy grounds.

“He should bear in mind that it was Sonia Gandhi who had given Telangana. Yet, he showed no respect for her,” he said, and warned him against attempts to crush democratic movements using police force.

“If you continue to act like a dictator, the people would not approve of it. They are watching you keenly,” Revanth Reddy said, drawing KCR’s attention.

He made an appeal to the farmers, youth, and the unemployed to attend the meeting in large numbers and make it a success.

He said Sonia Gandhi would announce five guarantees to the people at the rally and therefore it would be a very significant event.

“No matter how hard the BRS and BJP try to disrupt our efforts in holding the public meeting, it is going to be a grand success as people are with us,” Revanth Reddy said.