HYDERABAD: Like in wrestling shows, a ‘tag team’ of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu took on the men in power — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and incumbent Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao — on Monday. “KCR did not directly criticise Modi in any of his speeches,” pointed out Rahul Gandhi. “KCR is being remote controlled by Modi,” he claimed.
Addressing a rally in Rahamathnagar of Hyderabad, Rahul questioned why KCR remained silent when Modi implemented several “anti-people” initiatives like demonetisation and the “Gabbar Singh Tax”. “Modi broke the backbone of the poor and KCR supported BJP on all the occasions,” Rahul claimed.
Rahul continued to call KCR as “Khao Commission Rao” and alleged that Telangana, which was a surplus State was pushed into deep debt under the TRS rule. “He pushed a 17,000 crore revenue-surplus State into a debt trap of 2.2 lakh crore. While the State leapt into debt, his family member’s income rose 400 per cent,” Rahul said, taking a dig on KCR’s son KT Rama Rao.
On a day when the High Court gave relief to the government over the issue, Rahul continued to allege that KCR had redesigned Palamuru Rangareddy Project and increased its cost from 10,000 crore to 60,000 crore for his own benefit. He also raised suspicions over the increased project cost of Pranahita Chevella Project, from 50,000 crore to 90,000 crore. With just two more days left for campaigning, Rahul Gandhi took up a whirlwind tour of the State and addressed three public meetings and participated in one road show on Monday. The central point of his campaign was to rally on the misrule of TRS. He kept saying that KCR was the “national champion” of corruption.
Chandrababu Naidu, for his part, pointed out that BJP president Amit Shah was trying to create a rift between Hindus and Muslims during his campaign. He claimed that KCR’s idea of forming a Federal Front was to help BJP, by splitting up the formidable alliance that anti-BJP parties are trying to forge.
Naidu had more repartees in store for KCR. “TRS has released one more manifesto now.... all that they have done is add Rs 16 extra to every promise made by People’s Front. KCR is bringing a third manifesto as he is afraid of being defeated. They will use all kinds of tactics now... threats, bribes... do not fall for those tactics,” Naidu told the public gathered to hear him.
He added that People’s Front will stick to its promises. “We will provide Rs 50,000 rent for double bedroom beneficiaries immediately after coming to power. We will waive farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh at one go. We will create jobs for youth unlike KCR.”
He also claimed that his TDP government was to be credited for developing Hyderabad. “Congress, that came after us, ensured that our good work continued. But what has KCR till now,” he asked.