HYDERABAD: A “silent revolution” is sweeping the country under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, with people increasingly seeking an alternative to the BJP, said Irrigation and Civil Supplies Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday.
Addressing the annual Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra Commemoration Day and Rajiv Sadbhavana Award function at the historic Charminar, he said growing public support for Rahul Gandhi and the Congress reflected a wider desire for political change at the national level.
The programme has been held annually since 1990 to commemorate former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi’s message of communal harmony and national integration.
Uttam said Rahul Gandhi had provided effective leadership to the Congress through challenging as well as favourable political circumstances. He urged ministers, MPs, MLCs and MLAs to give greater priority to key party programmes and maintain close coordination between the government and the organisation.
He also called for greater recognition of grassroots workers who had endured years of hardship under the previous BRS regime, saying their perseverance and sacrifices had played a crucial role in the Congress returning to power in Telangana.
Recalling Rajiv Gandhi’s association with Hyderabad through the Sadbhavana Yatra, he congratulated former PCC president V Hanumantha Rao and the Rajiv Sadbhavana Award Committee for sustaining the tradition for more than three decades. He said he had regularly attended the programme irrespective of the position he held.
AICC secretary in charge of Telangana Sachin M Sawant said Rajiv Gandhi’s vision of a modern, self-reliant India rested on unity, mutual respect and placing national interest above political considerations.