HYDERABAD: Kicking off the grand old party’s election campaign in Telangana, AICC chief Rahul Gandhi on Saturday launched a scathing attack against Telangana’s caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi drawing parallels between the two leaders highlighting how they have both not just failed in fulfilling promises, but also looted the public’s money through corrupt practices.
Addressing his first public meeting after the Telangana Assembly elections were announced, Rahul Gandhi took on KCR at Bhainsa, a town in northern Telangana. “The whole nation revers Bhimrao Ambedkar, but KCR does not like his name. KCR has rechristened BR Ambedkar Pranahita Chevella as Kaleshwaram Project and increased its construction cost from Rs 38,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore. Why did he increase the cost? Because he wants to loot money belonging to the people of Telangana. He has also increased the cost of Rajiv Sagar and Indira Sagar projects from Rs 2,500 crore to Rs 12,000 crore in the name of redesigning. Redesigning is KCR’s ploy to loot money for the benefit his family and friends,” Rahul alleged.
The TRS government, he claimed, had failed to fulfil its promises of providing a job to each and every family, issue three acres of land to scheduled caste landless farmers, construct double-bedroom houses for the poor, implement free KG to PG education and supply safe drinking water to each and every
family.
Stressing that he has never given a promise which went unfilled in his 15-year-long career, the Congress chief said, “I have never made a false promise in my 15-year-long political career. Congress has always fulfilled its promises. We only speak truth. If you want to listen to lies you can attend KCR and Modi’s meetings. Congress will form government in TS and at the Centre.”
He promised that his party will waive farm loans of up to Rs 2 lakh, fill one lakh government jobs within one year, guarantee remunerative prices for all crops in the State, provide Rs 3,000 unemployment allowance for youth.
Rahul Gandhi also used Telangana battleground to train guns at Modi. “Narendra Modi has promised that he does not want to be a PM but Chowkidar. But Modi has been a chowkidar of rich Indians like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Vijay Mallya but not to people. He made the poor people stand in line with demonetisation and transferred the money of poor, farmers, small traders into the pockets of rich. The PM has taken away Rafale deal from HAL and gave it to his friend Anil Ambani's company, transferring Rs 30,000 crore of public money into Anil Ambani pocket. Chowkidar has become chor (thief),” Rahul thundered.
While Rahul presented Congress as a better alternative to rule Telangana, he also used the opportunity to attack BJP and AIMIM in his day-long tour.The Congress president also accused the TRS government of being hand in glove with the BJP government at the Centre. “TRS supports every act of Modi in Delhi. And joins hands with AIMIM in Telangana. These three parties want to divide people. Only Congress can unite all the people,” Rahul asserted.
‘Whose chowkidar?’
Rahul Gandhi used his visit to Telangana to train guns at Modi. “Narendra Modi has promised that he does not want to be a PM, but a chowkidar. But Modi has played chowkidar to rich Indians like Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, not the common man,” he said.
‘TRS, BJP trying to divide people’
The Congress president accused the TRS of being hand in glove with the BJP government at the Centre. “The TRS, BJP and AIMIM want to divide people on the grounds of caste, religion and region,” he said.