HYDERABAD: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Saturday blew the bugle for the Lok Sabha elections at a public rally featuring lakhs of people at Tukkuguda on the city outskirts, a sentimental venue for the party which had launched its victorious Assembly polls campaign from the same venue.
Rahul Gandhi said the Congress had defeated the B-team of the BJP, an apparent reference to the BRS, in Telangana state and would triumph over the A-team of India, the BJP, in forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. He said the Congress government in the state had delivered on the Six Guarantees within 100 days of coming to power. In a similar manner, the Congress will deliver ‘Panch Nyay-Pachees Guarantee’ across the country if it is voted to power in Lok Sabha elections.
He also unveiled the Telugu version of the national manifesto at the ‘Jana Jatara’ rally along with Revanth Reddy, state Cabinet ministers, and senior party leaders.
Gandhi went all guns blazing against the BJP government at the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well as former chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao in his 40-minute speech in Hindi. Senior leader and state minister Uttam Kumar Reddy translated the speech into Telugu.
Gandhi struck an emotional chord stating that the relationship between his family and the people of Telangana state was not political but rather a parivarik (familial) one. He said Sonia Gandhi belonged to the people of Telangana and he would be the soldier of Telangana state interest in Delhi.
The Congress would conduct a financial and institutional survey to find out which class of people was in control of the country’s wealth after conducting the caste-based survey, he said.
Gandhi dubbed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of becoming the ‘Extortion Directorate’ under the Modi regime and accused the BJP of running the world’s “largest washing machine”.
“The BJP operates the biggest washing machine, with the most corrupt leaders siding with Modi. Modi has filled ED, CBI, I-T and even Election Commission with his people,” Gandhi alleged.
He described the electoral bonds under the BJP regime as the “biggest scam” in the country. “It’s a transactional deal — money in exchange for business. Look closely at the electoral bonds and you’ll realize there is quid pro quo. One month, a company faces CBI threats, the next month it donates hundreds of crores to the BJP,” he said. “Infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores are awarded to certain companies, which then funnel money to BJP through electoral bonds.”
Gandhi said that Modi catered to only a small percentage of the population. “Modi works for just 3 to 4 per cent of the country's population. Modi has the power of media, money, intelligence agencies, ED, CBI. We are truthful, and have the love of the people. The final victory will be of truth and people,” he said.
Stating that the Constitution was under threat under the Modi regime, Gandhi said, “We will not allow the abolition of the Constitution. Our fight is to uphold the Constitution and safeguard democracy against the BJP’s attempts to alter or annul it.”
Referring to the Congress national manifesto ‘Panch Nyay-Pachees Guarantee’, Gandhi said, “It is not a Congress manifesto but the people’s manifesto. It is in alignment with the aspirations of the people. We have drafted this manifesto by understanding your needs. If you examine it closely, you'll realise this manifesto has the potential to transform India. It can change the lives of women, the poor, and farmers.”
Gandhi listed five guarantees (Panch Nyay) that the party had promised in its manifesto. “When we gave you promises in Telangana, we called them the guarantees of the Congress but in reality, they were the guarantees of the people. When we talked about `500 per cylinder, 200 units of free electricity, and free bus travel for women, we heard the voice of the people.”
He said, “Today, everyone in Telangana knows that the Congress is fulfilling the promises. There is the highest unemployment in the country in 40 years, but the Congress government in Telangana gave jobs to 30,000 people within 100 days and at the same time 50,000 more people will get jobs. This manifesto is the voice of the people of India.”
