HYDERABAD: The Congress on Sunday sounded the poll bugle in Telangana by announcing six guarantees which included the promise of Rs 2,500 per month and a cooking gas cylinder at Rs 500 for women, as Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on the state’s ruling BRS, calling it the “BJP Rishtedar Samithi”.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi gave the commitment that the six guarantees will be fulfilled as soon as the party forms the government in Telangana.
Addressing a large gathering in Tukkuguda near here, Rahul Gandhi dubbed the BRS as the “BJP Rishtedar Samithi” and said that while opposition leaders were being attacked by government agencies, there were no cases against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and AIMIM leaders because Prime Minister Narendra Modi considers them his own.
The rally marked the culmination of two days of hectic political programmes that included the first meeting of the reconstituted Congress Working Committee (CWC).
Gandhi said that in Telangana, the Congress is not just fighting the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), but also the BJP and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM).
“They call each other separate parties but they are working in collusion. I have seen BRS MPs in Lok Sabha. When BJP needed them, their (BRS) people supported it,” he said, citing the BRS’ “support” to the BJP on farm laws, GST and in elections to the posts of president and vice president.
Whenever the BJP needed its help, the BRS supported them, the former Congress chief said.
Former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, who also gave a brief speech at the rally, said it is her dream to see the party’s government in Telangana that will work for all sections of society and appealed to people to support the Congress.
Amid chants of “Sonia amma”, she said that “We are announcing six guarantees and we are committed to fulfil each one of them”.
Rahul Gandhi also asserted that on the formation of the Congress government in Telangana, these guarantees will be fulfilled in the first cabinet meeting.
He said the first guarantee is “Indiramma Indlu” under which Rs 5 lakh will be given for the construction of a house to all those who do not have one.
Under this scheme, he said, a 250 square yards house would also be given to those who fought in the Telangana statehood movement.
“All those listening who don’t have a home, as soon as our government comes, you will get a home,” the former Congress chief said.
Under the “Mahalakshmi” guarantee, the party promises women Rs 2,500 per month, a gas cylinder for Rs 500 and free travel in buses, Rahul Gandhi said.
The third guarantee is “Gruha Jyoti” and under this, 200 units of free electricity will be given to all households, he said.
Under the fourth guarantee, “Yuva Vikasam”, the party promises Rs 5 lakh assistance for education in college and financial aid in coaching, he said.
“Rs 4,000 monthly pension for the elderly and Rs 10 lakh Rajiv Arogyasri insurance would be given under the fifth guarantee ‘Cheyutha’,” the Congress leader said.
And, finally, the sixth guarantee is “Rythu Bharosa”, under which Rs 15,000 would be given to farmers and Rs 12,000 to farm labourers annually, he said.
Earlier this year, the Congress had come out with five guarantees ahead of the Karnataka polls and the party has said it has fulfilled the promises it made to the people of that state.
In a no-holds-barred attack on the BRS, BJP and AIMIM, Rahul Gandhi said, “We selected today for a meeting and all three parties (BRS, BJP, AIMIM) held a meeting because they wanted to disturb our meeting. But they have not been able to disturb our meeting. In the evening, they will talk and say that ‘we would have to find a new way to stop the Congress party’,” he said.
Rahul Gandhi claimed that there is a case against every opposition leader and government agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Income Tax Department are after them.
“But there is no case against KCR (K Chandrashekar Rao). There is no case against AIMIM. Only the opposition is attacked. Modi ji never attacks his own people. He regards your CM and AIMIM leaders as his own, and therefore, there is no case against them,” Rahul Gandhi told the gathering, in a sharp attack at BRS president Rao and AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi.
“All corruption records have been broken but there is no case,” he said and termed the BRS “BJP Rishtedaar Samithi. I saw Sonia (Gandhi) ji’s speech. Whatever Sonia ji says she fulfils it. She does not speak loudly but when she says something, she does it,” Rahul Gandhi said and recalled how the Congress fulfilled the promise of creation of Telangana.
“We did not give statehood to Telangana for the benefit of KCR and his family,” he said.
“The BRS government will go away in the next 100 days and nobody can change that, be it BJP or AIMIM,” he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also slammed the ruling BRS, alleging that it is the “B team” of the BJP in Telangana and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao have “betrayed” the state.
He said that the promises made to the state in the last nine years have not been fulfilled.
Highlighting that the Congress created the Telangana state, Kharge said that his party does whatever it says, but the BRS is the opposite.
“BRS is the BJP’s B team, hence it is helping the BJP. Modi ji and KCR may appear different but they are the same in their ways. Modi ji lies, KCR also lies, both of them have betrayed Telangana,” Kharge said.
The Congress president sought support from the people and said he was hopeful that his party would form the government in the state after a few months.
Assembly polls in Telangana are due later this year.
Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi also laid the foundation stone of the Gandhi Knowledge and Training Centre to be established in Bowenpally, Hyderabad.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Telangana Congress chief A Revath Reddy also addressed the gathering, appealing to people to support the Congress in the upcoming polls.
The public meeting at dusk was attended by several members of the Congress Working Committee.