Ahead of Rahul Gandhi's visit to Hyderabad on 5 November, KTR demanded the Congress leader to apologise to the people for not keeping the promises made during the poll campaign.
Published Nov 04, 2024 | 5:39 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 05, 2024 | 2:51 PM
KTR demands apology from Rahul Gandhi for not keeping his six promises in Telangana
BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Monday, 4 November, demanded that Congress top leader Rahul Gandhi should tender an unconditional apology to the people of Telangana for “betraying” them with false promises.
He made the demand in a three-page open letter released ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Hyderabad on Tuesday, 5 November. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha is visiting Hyderabad to take part in a workshop on caste census.
KTR, as the BRS leader is popularly known, wondered where Gandhi had been hiding after declaring that he was only a phone call away if anyone in the state had any problem. The former BRS minister asked Gandhi whether he had the guts to face the victims of the HYDRAA and Musi Rejuvenation Project.
KTR vented his anger at the grand old party for belying the people’s expectations and becoming the cause for the all-round destruction of a great state, the BRS had built brick-by-brick over 10 years.
The BRS leader said the open letter was meant to make Gandhi aware of the kind of destruction caused in Telangana. He said all sections of people are suffering on account of the government which had not kept even one promise.
They include farmers, unemployed youths, students, police, government employees, auto drivers, handloom weavers, victims of Musi Project and HYDRAA.”
KTR said it was unfortunate that Gandhi was sitting in Delhi feigning innocence when the Telangana chief minister, like Raja Pulakesi, was persecuting the people.
“From the very first day, Revanth Reddy has made the people know what betrayal meant. You carried out a high-voltage campaign that you would implement six guarantees but after coming to power, you threw up your hands in a gesture of helplessness,” he said, adding that the Congress was never an “Abhaya Hastam,” but a “Bhasmasura Hastam.”
He said Gandhi had promised six guarantees and abhaya hastam in Telangana. “The state Congress leaders are trudging the path that you have shown them. You have given six guarantees but after winning the elections, confined yourself to Delhi,” KTR said.
Except for free rides to women on RTC buses, the government had not done anything for the people. The ₹2 lakh crop loan waiver was implemented only partially. The government had given a decent burial to Rythu Bharosa also.
“Bonus for paddy has become bogus. The Congress leaders have become a bunch of half-wits unable to even procure the paddy from the farmers. All sections of societies are suffering because they have elected the Congress to power,” he said.
KTR said that Congress, contrary to its promise of ensuring welfare to all sections, is now turning against them. In just one year, the Congress had only succeeded in taking all the sections of people for a ride. They are staging dharnas and, strangely, the police are beating up their colleagues.
He said a government elected by the people should take care of the welfare of its people. But the chief minister is harassing them.
In the name of the Musi Project and using HYDRAA, he is rendering the poor and the middle class shelterless.
“The people are shuddering at the very mention of 1HYDRAA. The Congress came to power promising houses but it was now pulling down the houses the people had built with their savings. I wonder why you are not able to hear the cries for help affected by the Congress government. Don’t you have any sense of shame for cheating unemployed youth after promising them 2 lakh jobs in one year at Ashok Nagar in Hyderabad?” he asked.
He dared Gandhi to face the people. “Can you visit Ashok Nagar now? Can you meet farmers? Can you at least go and meet the police who are supposed to be protectors of your party men? All of them are seething with rage,” he said and referred to the plight of victims of HYDRAA and Musi Project and the handloom weavers who are dying by suicide unable to make both ends meet.
As the government had no vision, even companies that had come to the state are now trying to relocate to other states. The state has already gone back by 100 years because of the “blackmailing” chief minister who is inept in leading the state.
In Hyderabad prohibitory orders have been issued for one month preventing people from even staging protests against the government, which is unheard of, he said.
He ridiculed AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge for saying that any state would face bankruptcy if rulers made promises without keeping in mind the revenues of the state.
“But this is what has happened in Telangana which means admitting to making impracticable promises. Will Rahul Gandhi apologise to the people?” he asked.
The BRS leader said that the chief minister and the ministers were now on a plundering spree in the state. Each one has his tax that one has to pay. The chief minister is openly collecting RR tax. He has now brought to the fore the Musi Project.
“What is Delhi’s share in this ₹1.5 lakh crore project? This project is being implemented with your clearance. It aims at robbing the poor to fill Congress leaders’ pockets,” he said.
He recalled Gandhi stating that he was against defections and advocating the need for a stringent Act to prevent them.
“But, after coming to power, your chief minister is promoting defections while you remain silent. You are not able to do anything after flashing the constitution copy to the people during the election campaign when the chief minister in Telangana was flouting the rules of the sacred book.”
KTR also sought to expose the Congress double-speak on Adani. He said that the Congress dubs the relationship between Adani and Modi as Modani but in Telangana, there is a “dostana” between the Congress and Modi.
“Even shame is ashamed at your doublespeak,” he said and held Gandhi responsible for the deplorable state Telangana has been pushed into.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
