Hyderabad, Apr 2 (PTI) Hitting back at BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao for his attack on the Congress government over alleged farmers’ distress, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday alleged that the former CM was only trying to gain political mileage in the Lok Sabha polls with his recent visit to agricultural fields.
Congress activists see Rao’s visit to the agricultural fields like a ‘cat undertaking a pilgrimage after having eaten 100 rats’, he charged.
Rao, also known as KCR, is resorting to all kinds of tricks to “hide his loot (when in power) and to overcome the situation of BRS MP candidates opting out of contest” but such tricks are outdated, he alleged.
“Chandrasekhar Rao is like a banned Rs 1,000 note,” he said.
He asked if KCR would have undertaken a visit to meet farmers if parliament elections are not going to take place.
Are people not aware of the “tricks” to gain political mileage on issues like farmers’ distress, Reddy asked.
“He (KCR) came out because elections are there,” he said.
The state government is ready to implement if KCR makes any suggestions but he should not make comments that the Congress government failed though it assumed office just over 100 days ago, he said.
KCR is unable to digest losing power, he alleged.
Asked about KCR’s comments that 200 farmers committed suicide since the Congress assumed power, Revanth Reddy said the former CM should submit the names and other details of farmers who took the extreme step.
The state government would help the families of farmers if the farmers had indeed passed away, he said.
Referring to KCR’s comments that “drought came after Congress coming to power,” Revanth Reddy said, drought is the result of inadequate rains during the last rainy season when BRS was in power.
Congress assumed power in the state in December last year, he pointed out.
Did the previous BRS government allow Congress to organise protests on public issues, he asked. A lot of restrictions used to be imposed on protests, including preventive detention of Congress leaders, when the BRS was in power, he said.
However, the present Congress government provided security and made other arrangements to see that KCR’s recent visit to Suryapet district takes place smoothly, he said.
Claiming that BRS had received some Rs 1,500 crores through electoral bonds, he said people would have believed KCR’s sincerity towards the farmers’ cause had he distributed some Rs 100 crores to the farmers in distress.
He also said the Congress government is making efforts to ensure drinking water supply during the present summer season in view of the shortage of water in projects and water table declining.
Revanth Reddy, who is also president of Congress in Telangana, expressed confidence that the INDIA bloc would win the Lok Sabha polls and assume power on June 9 at Ramlila ground in Delhi.
He also highlighted the poll ‘guarantees’ being implemented by his government, including free bus travel for women, free electricity up to 200 units for poor and supply of LPG cylinders for Rs 500.
He spoke to reporters after inspecting the ground at Tukkuguda on city outskirts where Congress would organise a public meeting on April 6 to release the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls.
Top Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, would attend the rally.
Congress in Telangana had organised a rally at the same venue in September last year ahead of the Legislative Assembly polls.
Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and other senior leaders had announced the six poll ‘guarantees’ of Congress at the meeting.
Terming the Congress government as “inefficient and incompetent,” former Chief Minister Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday alleged as many as 200 farmers had taken their own lives under distress during the past 100 days of the present regime in Telangana.
Addressing mediapersons at Suryapet, about 150 km from here, KCR said farmers are in distress due to lack of water and power facilities and as result 15 lakh acres of crops have withered away. PTI SJR SJR SS
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