Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a road show in Warangal as a part of his campaign in Telangana on November 17
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday said the money ‘looted’ by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s (KCR) family would be recovered and spent on the welfare schemes of the poor and the downtrodden and asked Mr. KCR to be ready to face the storm in the form of a Congress win in Telangana.
Mr. Gandhi said bringing in people’s government was the agenda of the Congress and said Mr. KCR had already realised that the storm would uproot the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) from the government, and his party would be demolished in the Congress ‘Toofan’ in Telangana.
Addressing roadshows at Pinapaka in Khammam district and Narsampet in Warangal district, Mr. Gandhi alleged that corruption was all pervasive in Telangana and the people were vexed by it. The people’s government would be formed in Telangana by the Congress and later the party would dislodge the Modi government at the Centre.
Taking a dig at Mr. KCR’s questioning of the Congress party’s contribution to Telangana, he said the school where Mr. KCR studied and the roads that he travels on were all made by the Congress. It was the Congress that turned Hyderabad into the ‘IT capital of the world’ and it was the Congress that delivered the long-cherished desire of a separate Telangana, he said.
‘Rule reeked feudalism’
Accusing the Chief Minister of keeping all the departments where money is made within the family, the Congress leader said Mr. KCR’s rule reeked feudalism. Their involvement in liquor and sand was there to see for everyone. The present fight in Telangana is between ‘Dorala Telangana’ (feudal lords Telangana) and ‘Prajala Telangana’ (People’s Telangana).
Every corner of Telangana reflected the corruption of the BRS government, Mr. Gandhi alleged and accused the Chief Minister of making ₹1 lakh crore from the people in the name of the Kaleshwaram project. He said he had visited the Medigadda barrage where the pillars had sunk within five years. Mr. KCR is working for his own family and not the people, he alleged.
Mr. Gandhi also accused the BRS government of snatching away the lands bringing in the ‘Dharani’ portal, where the land records were digitised and integrated. In the name of digitisation and simplification, the government had removed the land records of thousands of farmers who benefited from the distribution of lands to the poor by the Congress governments. The Dalita Bandhu scheme was full of corruption, with the BRS MLAs taking ₹3 lakh cut from the ₹10 lakh grant given to Dalit families.
Mr. Gandhi said the Congress was the first party to provide free power supply to farmers and the new Congress government would supply 24 hours free power supply. He also highlighted the six guarantees of the Congress that include ₹2,500 per month to women, LPG cylinder for ₹500 and free bus travel for women.
Mr. Gandhi also alleged that the BRS, the BJP and the AIMIM led by Asaduddin Owaisi were partners in the elections. The MIM is fielding candidates wherever the Congress and the BRS were in a direct fight to help the BJP. Now the BJP and the MIM were helping the BRS in Telangana.
