Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N. Uttam Kumar Reddy has strongly condemned TRS leaders for causing obstructions in the proposed visit of AICC President Rahul Gandhi to Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts on 13th and 14th August.
Addressing a press conference, along with other senior leaders at Gandhi Bhavan on Friday, Uttam Kumar Reddy announced the final schedule of Rahul Gandhi’s visit. Rahul Gandhi will arrive at Shamshabad Airpot at 2.30 pm on 13th August and proceed to Classic Convention Centre to address a meeting with women SHG members. Later in the evening, he will address a public meeting in Serlingampalli.
Next day, Rahul Gandhi will have a meeting with editors of print and electronic media and also address the industrialists. He will also visit Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park. The Congress president will address a meeting with small traders at Exhibition Grounds and later he will speak at a meeting of students and youth in Saroornagar Stadium.
Uttam expressed displeasure over the way TRS leaders were trying to sabotage Rahul Gandhi’s visit. “TRS leaders are giving distorted, immoral and unethical statements and they have been conspiring to obstruct Rahul Gandih’s visit,” he said. He clarified that it was the OU students who invited the Congress president to their campus to address a meeting and they had also sought permission from police and OU authorities. He said the application was still under consideration. “It is very clear that TRS leaders were behind stalling the meeting. Why are they afraid of Rahul Gandhi’s entry into OU campus? TRS did nothing for OU students or unemployed youth and now they are trying to prevent Rahul Gandhi from speaking on those issues,” he said.
The TPCC chief also slammed the TRS Government for not giving protocol to Rahul Gandhi. “He is a Member of Parliament and also the president of a party which granted Telangana,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress party did not get permission to hold a meeting of Muslim community at Hockey Grounds near Masab Tank. “We started making arrangements after we got oral nod from the managing committee of hockey ground. However, when we submitted a written letter seeking permission, the management alleged that it was under pressure to deny permission,” he said without naming anyone who might have pressurised the managing committee. “You can only guess who is afraid of Rahul Gandhi speaking about Muslim issues,” he said.
However, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that Rahul Gandhi would be visiting Telangana State at least once in a month from now onwards. Therefore, he said the meetings which could not be held this time due to different factors would be convened in future visits.
“Why KCR and MIM are afraid of Rahul Gandhi?” asked AICC Telangana Incharge R.C. Khuntia. He said if they (KCR and MIM) don’t fear him (RG), why they are creating obstacles. “When Rahul Gandhi can fight Modi, KCR and MIM do not count for him?” he said and announced that Rahul Gandhi would visit the OU soon. He also asked MIM to question TRS for its support to BJP-led NDA.
Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that the managing committee was pressurised not to give permission for Rahul Gandhi’s meeting at Hockey Grounds. He said that the Congress party would hold meetings at all places including Khilwat and Quli Qutb Shah Stadium and in all seven Assembly segments of Hyderabad.
Earlier while giving details of the programmes to be attended by Rahul Gandhi, Uttam Kumar Reddy said that nearly 10,000 women SHG members are likely to attend the meeting Classic Convention Centre. He also informed that the public meeting in Serilingampally in Santa Maria School Ground was likely to be attended by people hailing from Seemandhra. He will also speak to over 30,000 booth, mandal and block presidents and office bearers of TPCC through tele-conference on August 14th. The interaction with editors is being organised by Press Club of Hyderabad at Haritha Plaza while the meeting with industrialists is being held by Young Presidents Organisations at Hotel Taj Krishna.
Senior leaders including K. Jana Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, A. Revanth Reddy, A. Sampath Kumar, V. Hanumantha Rao, N.S. Bose, Saleem Ahmed, M. Anjan Kumar Yadav and Anil Kumar Yadav were also present. (NSS)