Hyderabad: Charging the TRS president with not keeping his promises either to merge the party with the Congress or make a Dalit the Chief Minister of Telangana, AICC vice-president and Congress’ star campaigner Rahul Gandhi called Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao a backstabber and power monger, who is “always interested in power and politics, but not interested in the issues concerning Telangana.”
Mr Gandhi addressed election meetings in Mahbubnagar and in Nizamabad on Monday evening and for the first time targeted the TRS and its leader. Deviating from his attacks on the BJP, Mr Gandhi narrated his personal experiences with Mr Rao.
“After we granted Telangana state, KCR came to my house, thanked me and even embraced me. He also told me he is going to merge his party with the Congress. But like many other things, he forgot his promise and stabbed us in the back,” Mr Gandhi said.
“KCR also promised to make a Dalit the next Chief Minister of Telangana. He seems to have gone back on that promise also. He is only interested in politics and power, that is all,” Mr Gandhi said.
He said it was just not possible for a sub-regional party like the TRS to develop Telangana state; only a national party like the Congress can take up the massive development needed in the new state.
He unveiled a major plan for Telangana and vowed to create ‘Brand Telangana’ in the years to come.
“You are all used to China stuff for all your needs; but we will develop Telangana to produce world class technology and goods. You will be proud that they are all used by Japan, China, England and America in the years to come. We want to make products that are ‘Made in Telangana’ and ‘Made in India’,” Mr Gandhi told his listeners.
He accused the BJP of dividing people into Hindus and Muslims. “They want to create two Indias, one for the rich and another for the poor. One India for chosen businessmen and another India for farmers, workers, dalits, adivasis and minorities,” he said.
BJP, TD had tried to stall Telangana Bill, says Rahul
In an apparent dig at BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi, Congress vice-president Mr Rahul Gandhi said, “Opposition parties want only chosen businessmen and chosen industrialists to become rich, with no benefits to the rest of the nation.”
He also blamed BJP and TD for trying to stall the passage of the Telangana Bill in Parliament. “Even the TRS has no role either before or after the preparation of the Telangana Bill.”
He promised to take up the Women’s Reservation Bill that is pending in Parliament in the very first session of the new Lok Sabha.
“The Congress never divides people into Hindus and Muslims; every section of society is equal for us, unlike for the BJP which is interested in dividing the people,” he said. The Congress wants an India where everybody including the poor, farmers, workers, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians benefit.
There was loud applause from the public in Mahbubnagar when Mr Gandhi said that the Congress government at the Centre will set up a 4,000-megawatt thermal power station in Telangana with world class technology. He also promised to grant national project status to two important irrigation projects in the region, Pranahita-Chevella and the Palamur lift irrigation scheme.
Allaying the fears of Telangana people, he assured them that once the new state comes into being on June 2, the revenue of Hyderabad district will be shared among Telangana districts and used for development and welfare schemes. He also said the Centre has already declared a 10-year tax holiday for the new state.
