In a major push towards chalking out the Congress party’s campaign for the forthcoming general elections, All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday unveiled the party’s first manifesto guarantee for the people of the State — a monthly dole of ₹5,000 to every poor family under a scheme called ‘Indiramma Abhayam’.
The AICC chief, along with APCC chief Y.S. Sharmila, announced the Indiramma Abhayam scheme at the Congress party’s maiden election meeting, christened ‘Nyaya Sadhana Sabha’, in Anantapur. A large cheque with the poll promise printed on it, accompanied by a signature of Ms. Sharmila, was displayed at the event.
Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the “underdevelopment” of Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation, Mr. Kharge said that the Congress party would not rest until the people were ensured “full justice in the form of Special Category Status (SCS)“.
Recalling the tenure of the late Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy as Chief Minister, Mr. Kharge said Andhra Pradesh had witnessed an era of development under him. “YSR’s rule should return to Andhra Pradesh. That is why we have chosen his his daughter Sharmila as PCC chief. All the Congress leaders, cadre, and public are standing by her,” the AICC president said.
Terming Mr. Modi a “dictator,” the AICC chief said that the BJP-led NDA government posed a grave risk to the country. “The people of India should come together to defeat fascist forces. Only by defeating Modi, can we save democracy and uphold the Constitution,” he said.
“Mr. Modi repeatedly claims that the Congress party is weak. He never desists from abusing Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and myself. The truth is that Mr. Modi is afraid of the Congress. Why else would Mr. Modi harass the Congress cadre and put them behind bars?” Mr. Kharge questioned.
The Congress chief deplored that it was “shameful” on the part of the Prime Minister to claim “personal credit” for any developmental activity. “Mr. Modi says he has built seaports and airports and ensured food for 80 crore people. Why can’t he say it is all by the BJP? The real development in post-independent India was ushered in by Jawaharlal Nehru, be it in the form of schools, dams, and reservoirs. The Congress has always stood by the farmers — poor, small traders and workers. But Mr. Modi is only for the crony capitalists,” Mr. Kharge alleged.
The AICC president said that Modi had utterly cheated the youth of India with the false promise that he would create two crore jobs every year. “What happened to his promise of bringing back black money from abroad, and giving ₹15 lakh to each family in the country? Farmers were also duped by his promise of their income being doubled,” Mr. Kharge alleged.
Referring to the political situation in A.P., Mr Kharge said that there was little to differentiate between the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), and the Jana Sena Party (JSP) as all three parties were stooges of Mr. Modi. “The BJP has done little for Andhra Pradesh in the last ten years. Mr. Modi neither extended SCS nor sanctioned funds for irrigation projects. Still, the three parties are prostrating before Mr. Modi,” he said, calling the behaviour of the three political parties “highly surprising”.
Mr. Kharge urged the people to vote for the Congress, not only in the Assembly but in the Lok Sabha elections as well. Referring to the Indiramma Abhayam guarantee, Mr. Kharge said that the people should know that it will be upheld “as it is a guarantee by the Congress party, and not like one of Mr. Modi’s promises.”
Senior Congress leaders Raghuveera Reddy, Chinta Mohan, J.D. Seelam, Sake Sailajanath and K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao were present. K. Ramakrishna and V. Srinivasa Rao of the CPI and CPI(M), who are in a tie-up with the Congress for the forthcoming elections, also spoke at the meeting.
