MULUGU : TPCC president A Revanth Reddy launched his ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan’ from Medaram village in Tadvai mandal of Mulugu district on Monday. He performed a puja to tribal deities of Sammakka-Saralamma before starting his Yatra at 12.30 pm from Narlapur to Pasara villages. The TPCC chief covered about 20 km from Narlapur to Palampet via Narlapur on the first day of his Yatra. He will stay at Palampet for the night before resuming his Yatra the next day on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Congress supporters accorded a grand welcome to Revathi Reddy all along his route. He was greeted by Congress activists who stood on either side of the roads, holding banners and waving party flags. AICC General Secretary and party in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre, Mulugu MLA Danasari Anasuya aka Seethakka, former MP Madhu Yaskhi, former minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir and senior vice-president of TPCC Mallu Ravi were among those who participated in the Yatra from Medaram village to Pasara.
Addressing a public meeting at Pasara village, Revanth Reddy said that the BRS government was cheating the public and only the Kalvakuntla family was enjoying the power since the inception of Telangana State. He said that change was imminent to end “corrupt family rule” and called upon the farmers, youth: employed and unemployed, to support the Congress. He asked the government what happened to `25 lakh crore announced by the government meant for reimbursing fee of students, waiver of farmers’ loans and construction of double bedroom houses for the poor.
Revanth Reddy alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao failed to fulfil his promises to the tribal youth. “If the Congress comes to power, it will fulfil all the promises,” he said.
“I was inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Sandesh Jodo Yatra’ to start ‘Haath Se Haath Jodo Abhiyan’ for the feature of Telangana,” he claimed.
Revanth Reddy alleged that the BJP was dividing people for the sake of power. Cautioning people against BJP and BRS, he urged them to exercise their franchise prudently and elect the Congress in the coming elections.
Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy stormed to power after his marathon padayatra which he started at Chevella, then represented by P Sabitha Indra Reddy, now Education Minister in the BRS government, whom the former CM called her ‘chellamma’. In the same way Revanth Reddy undertook his Yatra from the Mulugu constituency, represented by Seethakka. He expressed the hope that like Rajasekhara Reddy, Revanth, too, would bring the Congress to power in the State with the good wishes of Seethakka.
Speaking on the occasion, Seethakka stated that a sense of fear gripped the BRS government after Revanth Reddy announced his Yatra and decided to give Podu land pattas to the tribals. She expressed her happiness over Revanth Reddy choosing to launch the Yatra from her constituency and calling her sister.