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Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi in Telangana of "corruption" and claimed that his party has "punctured the wheels of PM Modi's vehicle in Telangana" as the Congress leader promised free power to farmers in the poll-bound state.
Addressing public meetings during his campaign in Telangana for the November 30 assembly polls, he said the Congress will also provide Rs 15,000 per acre yearly compensation to farmers besides providing Rs 12,000 every year to agricultural labourers. The party released its manifesto in the state which has "six guarantees" for various sections. Party chief Mallikarjun Kharge said after releasing the manifesto on Friday that two lakh appointments will be made in the state government. Kharge announced the dates for notifying the vacancies and filling these, which he said will be done within a year starting January 2024. In his remarks, Rahul Gandhi accused the Chandrasekhar Rao government of corruption, he said the party will ensure that the money "looted from them" is returned. He alleged that the KCR government had "looted" crores from the Kaleshwaram Dam project. He also alleged that the KCR family held weighty portfolios and "controlled the sand, the mining and the liquor business". He said Telangana was not created by the Congress for the benefit of any family but for the benefit of all its citizens including the OBCs, Dalits and tribals. He claimed a nexus between the BRS and BJP. "BJP and BRS are one...one works in Delhi and the other in Telangana. They keep helping each other. Congress punctured the wheels of PM Modi's vehicle in Telangana now he won't be visible in Telangana but from behind KCR is helping. He told BJP workers that here they should defeat Congress and make BRS win...there is also a third party in between, AIMIM," Gandhi said. "Wherever Congress is fighting against BJP, whether it is Rajasthan, Assam, Maharashtra or Gujarat, AIMIM is there to help BJP...our first goal is to remove KCR and BRS from Telangana. The other goal is to throw away Narendra Modi's government in 2024 from Delhi," he added. Rahul Gandhi also announced that the reservation in local bodies will be increased to 42 per cent from the existing 23 per cent. He pointed out that 24,000 people will be elected to these bodies, which will include women. Gandhi said that the party's guarantees will be taken up in the first cabinet meeting if the Congress forms a government in the state. "The first task of the new Telangana government will be to convert the guarantees into laws," he said. He alleged that BRS MLAs take commissions, government employees do not get salary on time and farmers' loans were not waived off. About BRS leaders questioning the contributions of Congress, he said Congress constructed schools and made Hyderabad "IT Capital of the world" and created infrastructure. Addressing a public meeting after releasing the manifesto, Kharge said, the document is our Gita, Bible and Quran". He recalled the party's contribution to creation of a separate Telangana. He accused K Chandrasekhar Rao of "not acknowledging the role and contribution" of Sonia Gandhi towards the creation of a separate Telangana state. The manifesto listed the party's roadmap and programmes for the development of the state. Kharge listed six guarantees including Rs 2,500 every month to every woman in the state, LPG cylinder for Rs 500 and free bus travel for women. For farmers, he announced the guarantee of providing Rs 15,000 per acre compensation every year and for landless agricultural labourers Rs 12,000 every year. Besides, farmers will get a bonus of Rs 500 per quintal on paddy. Under the Grah Jyoti Yojana, 200 units of electricity will be provided free of cost. An assistance of Rs five lakh will be provided to every homeless person for the construction of house. Those who participated in the movement for the formation of a separate Telangana state will get 250 square-yard residential plots each. Senior citizens will get a monthly pension of Rs 4,000 each. Health insurance cover worth Rs 10 lakh will be provided for residents of the state. He said English-medium schools will be opened across the state. He claimed that the volume of PM Modi's allegations against KCR had come down and the Chief Minister has "also stopped speaking much" against the Prime Minister. He expressed confidence of Congress winning the state and said people have already made up their minds. Kharge urged people to give KCR a "good farewell" so that he is able to spend his retirement time in his farmhouse. Counting for assembly polls in Telangana will be held on December 3 along with that in four states. (ANI)
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