ADILABAD: Congress leaders on Monday took up cudgels against the TRS government for its policies which they said were more to benefit the ruling class than the interests of the people, particularly those of the SCs and Adivasis. Speaking at the massive public meeting, Dalita Girijana Dandora, organised to coincide with the World Indigenous People’s Day, TPCC chief Revanth Reddy said that “Telangana has become imprisoned in the Gadi of the Dora” and urged the tribals and SCs to end KCR’s rule.
“Is there at least one Madiga in the State Cabinet?” Revanth Reddy asked, recalling how KCR had humiliated and sacked Dr T Rajaiah when he was Deputy Chief Minister of the State. “The corruption charges made against him have still not been proven,” he said. He took potshots at KCR for coming out with Dalita Bandhu to win the byelection in Huzurabad. “I wish there are byelections for all the 119 constituencies. Then maybe all would get what the people of Huzurabad are getting,” he said, and wondered what had happened to KCR’s promise of making an SC the Chief Minister.
2nd Dandora on Aug 18
Arguing that it was the Congress that accorded priority to the SCs and tribals in all spheres, Revanth Reddy said that the Congress would stand by the kin of all those who died in the 1981 massacre at Indravelli. “We will extend financial help to them and build a memorial with their names inscribed on them,” he said, announcing that there would be the second edition of Dalita Girijana Dandora on August 18 at Ibranhimpatnam.
The other Congress leaders who spoke at the meeting included Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Y Madhu Yashki Goud, T Jeevan Reddy, Md Shabbir Ali and D Sridhar Babu. During his speech, Bhatti Vikramarka described the public meeting as a revolt against KCR’s rule. The Congress is blowing the conch for a battle with the TRS from Indravelli where the slogan “Jal, Jungle aur Jameeen” took birth. Dalit Bandhu which KCR had announced for SCs should be made applicable to the tribals also, he demanded. Madhu Yashki alleged that KCR was driving a wedge between castes to foment unrest. “Had KCR spent the SC subplan funds year after year for the last seven years, there would have been no need for Dalit Bandhu now,” he said.