HYDERABAD: TRS working president and IT Minister KT Rama Rao on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his jibe at “freebie politics” while reminding him of the political philosophy of the Constitution of India. Posing a series of questions on the continuance of welfare schemes, Rama Rao demanded that the PM make his stand clear on the implementation of welfare schemes during his Independence Day speech at Red Fort.
In an open letter to Modi, Rama Rao said that the Central government has been taking lakhs of crores as debt, but does not do any useful work with it. “At the same time, if the State governments come up with any schemes for the welfare of the poor, they are the ones who spew venom on the schemes labelling them freebies,” he said.
Stating that the Directive Principles enshrined in the Constitution assure the citizens that the government shall always work for the welfare of the people providing them social justice, Rama Rao said, “It is a bitter truth that in 75 years of Independent India, our country is far behind in the implementation of these Directive Principles.”
‘Will you cancel welfare schemes?’
Seeking answers from the PM, Rama Rao asked: “Will you go to the next polls announcing that all these free welfare schemes will be cancelled? Will there be a law or a constitutional amendment in Parliament to cancel all welfare schemes that are being implemented by various States and the Central government?”
He also sought to know whether the Prime Minister meant that states should not provide schemes like free electricity, Rythu Bandhu and Rythu Bima which are being given to the farmers who have been exposed to nature’s wrath for decades.