Insisting that the Congress was coming to power in Telangana, Rahul Gandhi said the election was a contest between "doralu" and "prajalu" (lords and people).
Published Oct 19, 2023 | 8:28 PM ⚊ Updated Oct 19, 2023 | 8:29 PM
Rahul Gandhi with TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy during the Congress Vijaybheri Yatra in Telangana on Wednesday, 19 October, 2023. (Supplied)
Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, 19 October, said his party would commission a caste census as soon as it comes to power in Telangana, which — he said — was a certainty.
He also met workers of Singareni coal mines and assured assistance when Congress comes to power.
Rahul Gandhi, in between whistlestop meetings at villages between Bhupalpally and Peddapally, said: “The caste census will act as an X-ray film of a patient. It will let the government know what is ailing the nation.”
He also asserted that the BRS was losing the Assembly elections slated for 30 November. “We are coming to power in the state. The signs are very clear,” he said.
Speaking at one of the meetings during the second day of the Vijaybheri Yatra, Rahul called to account Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not ordering a caste census so far.
“The census will let us know the socio-economic condition of Dalits, tribals, and OBCs. Once we know which caste how much population has, it becomes easy to determine for whom we have to budget how much money for a better and balanced improvement in their living conditions,” he said.
“The governments in Congress-ruled states of Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and Karnataka have been asked to commission caste censuses,” he added.
Rahul Gandhi said the caste census would be the first step in the right direction — to ensure the amelioration of the deprived sections of society.
“The caste census will do a whale of good for Telangana,” he said, adding that it would also ascertain how much of Telangana’s money had gone into the pockets of the “chief minister’s family”.
He said it was unfortunate that 90 secretaries of the Union government were running the entire country, of whom only three belonged to the OBCs. This, he said, meant they controlled just 5 percent of the budget.
“I want to know whether the population of OBCs in the country is just 5 percent,” he said.
కాంగ్రెస్ విజయభేరి యాత్ర:
కాంగ్రెస్ విజయభేరీ యాత్రలో భాగంగా రెండవ రోజు ప్రచారం నిర్వహిస్తున్న శ్రీ రాహుల్ గాంధీ గారికి జయశంకర్ భూపాలపల్లి జిల్లాలో ఘన స్వాగతం లభించింది.
ఈ యాత్రలో తెలంగాణ కాంగ్రెస్ ఇంఛార్జి శ్రీ మాణిక్ రావ్ ఠాక్రే గారు, టిపిసిసి అధ్యక్షులు శ్రీ @revanth_anumula… pic.twitter.com/iEb1akuN7N
— Telangana Congress (@INCTelangana) October 19, 2023
Referring to the alleged systematic looting of the nation, Rahul said that it was unfortunate that crores of rupees of loans advanced to industrialists were waived, but the loans of farmers were not.
“The GST, collected from shopkeepers, goes straight into the pockets of Adani,” he alleged, adding that he felt the panacea for all the ills was the “X-ray” that he had been talking about.
Taking a dig at KCR, Rahul Gandhi said that the “Telangana model of corruption” was being exported to other states.
“Telangana is the most corrupt state. Lakhs of crores of rupees have been taken away from the people,” he said.
The Congress leader promised that all the six guarantees given to Telangana by his party would be implemented immediately after it came to power in the state.
“In Karnataka, we have redeemed the promise made to the people immediately after assuming office,” he noted.
Expressing concern over the dreams of Telangana not coming true even after the creation of a separate state in 2014, Rahul Gandhi said that KCR’s family had a full grip on the entire state.
“People’s rule did not come after the formation of Telangana. Instead, the state went to the KCR’s family. The chief minister has moved far away from people during the last 10 years,” he said.
🔥గుండె లోతుల్లో పాత జ్ఞాపకం ఒకటి కళుక్కు మంది…
గరీబీ హఠావో నినాదం లీలగా వినిపించింది…
పేదవాడికి భూమి పంచిన “చేయి” గుర్తొచ్చింది
దేశం కోసం ప్రాణం ఇచ్చిన మనిషి యాది కొచ్చింది
ఆ జ్ఞాపకం పేరు “ఇందిరమ్మ”#CongressVijayabheriYatra #Congress6Guarantees #CongressWinningTelangana… pic.twitter.com/cyLTNXTJ8c
— Revanth Reddy (@revanth_anumula) October 19, 2023
During the Vijaybheri Yatra, Rahul Gandhi also vowed not to let the privatisation of Singaeni Collieries Company LTD (SCCL) take place if the Congress was voted power in the state.
Addressing an election rally in Peddapally, the Congress leader said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to offer SCCL to Adani on a platter, it was his party that obstructed it.
“Today, I spoke to Singareni coal miners. We will not let the privatisation of SCCL. We stand by the welfare of the workers,” he said.
Earlier, interacting with coal miners at Ladanapaur in Peddapalli, he promised to address all their problems.
In his 20-minute interaction, he promised to ensure income tax exemption on the earnings of coal miners and help in the growth of the SCCL.
Later, at the Peddapalli public meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that the prime minister wanted to offer other mines to Adani as well. “The Centre is privatising all the institutions in India, but we are with the workers and farmers,” he said.
The Congress leader said his relationship with the people of Telangana was one of love and not political.
“Sonia Gandhi was aware that the interests of the party would be affected elsewhere if she delivered Telangana but she did not waver on her commitment. She took a bold decision and created a new state for the people of Telangana,” he said.
But, as the misfortune would have it, KCR came in and ruined the dreams of the people of the fledgling Telangana state.
“Now this election is a battle between doralu and prajalu,” he said, alleging that the Kaleswaram Lift Irrigation Scheme was an eloquent symbol of KCR’s corruption.
“He took away your lands. Your villages became submerged. What have you got in return? Nothing. Only the contractor and KCR’s family benefited,” he said.
The Congress leader also said: “Using Dharani, KCR snatched your lands. He promised a waiver of farm loans up to ₹1 lakh, but let you down. The Rythu Bandhu is benefiting landlords and not small and marginal farmers.”
Responding to KCR’s claim that the Congress could not implement the guarantees it had offered, Rahul Gandhi advised him to realise that all the promises would be kept as his party’s would be a people’s government after the Assembly elections, unlike the BRS.
He reiterated that all the six guarantees made to the people would be implemented on the very first day of the Congress assuming office in the state.
