Mulugu: After offering prayers to the tribal deities Samakka and Saralamma on Monday, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy began the Haath Se Haath Jodo padyatra from Medaram of Thadvai mandal in Mulugu district to spread party former president Rahul Gandhi's message of Bharat Jodo and vowed to end the “feudalistic family rule" of the Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS government in Telangana.
Revanth Reddy first offered prayers at the Gattamma talli temple after reaching Mulugu district, as is customary for devotees visiting Medaram. The Congress leader was expected to reach Mulugu by 10 am and visit the Medaram temple at 11 am to launch his padayatra, but he arrived three hours later. A large number of people from surrounding villages and hundreds of party workers had gathered at Medaram.
During an interation with mediapersons when the padayatra stopped for lunch at Projectnagar near Pasra of Thadvai mandal. Revanth Reddy said Dalits, Adivasi and minorities, the youth, unemployed and women had hoped that their lives would change after the formation of Telangana state. They were disappointed as were activists who actively participated in the statehood movement.
“There is no scope for elected public representatives to speak in the Assembly. There is no scope for journalist to bring out facts. There is no scope for Opposition leaders to raise their voice against the anti-people’s policies adopted by the state government. What for was Telangana state achieved,” he asked.
Congress MLA Seethakka and scores of party workers participated in the padayatra, which is aimed at highlighting the failures of the state and Central governments, for six kilometers on the first day. During his padayatra, Revanth Reddy interacted with local shopkeepers and tribals.
People from the neighbourhood were spotted perched on trees and buildings around the temple in an effort to get a better look at Revanth. From Mulugu to Pasra and Medaram, the party leaders erected large hoardings, buntings, cutouts, and flexies of Revanth Reddy while bursting crackers along the way.
Thousands of party leaders and activists arrived in large groups from Mulugu district and the surrounding districts of Warangal in hundreds of vehicles, causing a massive traffic jam to build about 15 kilometres from Narlapur to Pasra. Devotees travelling to Medaram for darshan of Sammakka and Saralamma with their little children had to spend nearly two hours to reach the destination.
