Hyderabad: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wrapped up his three-day tour of poll-bound Telangana on Friday. At one point, he breached his own security cover to mingle with the people during his yatra in Jagtial.
He also distributed chocolates among children and tried his hands at making dosas at a roadside stall. On his way to Jagtial, Rahul Gandhi took a break in the Nookapalli area and surprised a roadside vendor by trying his hands on making a dosa.
Claims BJP leaders want to join Cong
While speaking at a rally in Armoor, Nizamabad, he said BJP leaders, who once came off like ‘Bollywood heroes’ were now keen to join Congress. “Here (in Telangana), the fight is between Congress and BRS. Earlier, BJP leaders used to throw their weight around like Bollywood heroes. They did not even realise that all four wheels of their vehicle had flattened. Today, BJP leaders are queuing up to join the Congress, but we do not want them,” he said.
‘Sonia enabled Telangana formation’
During his speech, Rahul also credited his mother, Sonia Gandhi, for Telangana’s creation. “If Sonia Ji hadn’t backed it, there’d be no Telangana. She wanted a state for the people, not feudal lords,” he said.
During the party’s ongoing Vijayabheri Yatra in the state, he said if Congress comes to power after the November 30 Assembly elections, he would ensure that farmers get Rs 500 more than the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for every crop they grow.
“Congress will ensure that turmeric farmers get Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 support price per quintal,” Gandhi said. “The Congress will also revive sugar factories in the region.”
On caste census
Rahul also took a dig at PM Modi for withholding caste census data and promised a new caste census if Congress comes to power. “The Congress after coming to power in Delhi (at the Centre) will release the previous data and also conduct a new caste-based census,” he said.
BJP, BRS & AIMIM protect each other
He said that the upcoming elections in the state are between dorala (feudal lords) and prajala (the people).
Alleging that the Telangana chief minister indulged in massive corruption, Gandhi said there was no CBI, ED or IT inquiry against him, while cases are being filed against opposition leaders in the country.
This means the BJP “protects” the BRS and the saffron party. The BRS and the Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM help each other, he said, adding the BJP, the BRS and AIMIM attack him.
Says Cong will defeat BRS
“The upcoming elections are a fight between the ruling BRS and the Congress in Telangana,” he said, exuding confidence that his party would also defeat the saffron party in the upcoming elections in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and the BRS in Telangana.
“People of Telangana thought there would be ‘janata raj’ (people’s rule) after the formation of Telangana, but now there is one-family rule and the state’s wealth is controlled by one family,” he said.
The BRS government has to be defeated, he said and urged the people of Telangana to vote for the Congress in the elections.
(With inputs from agencies)
