The Warangal meeting of the Telangana Congress on May 6 to be attended by former AICC chief Rahul Gandhi will be the launchpad for the party’s full-throttle campaign “Save Telangana” as indicated by the aggression of the Congress leaders.
The Congress leaders led by TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy and star campaigner Komatireddy Venkata Reddy; former MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud, former PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Warangal DCC president Nayini Rajender Reddy among others chose to send a message that they were in a battle mood and would rest only after defeating the TRS.
The leaders visited Arts College, where the meeting is planned, and discussed the arrangements to be made for the lakhs of people the party expects to turn out to hear Mr. Rahul Gandhi.
Later, they spoke to the media and announced that the meeting would not be of Congress workers or sympathisers but of Telangana farmers, youngsters, and employees, who all have been cheated by the government, according to them. It was also decided to conduct a rally in the town to culminate it into a public meeting.
Mr. Revanth Reddy sought the cooperation of all sections and come on their own to showcase their support to the farmers who he said were cheated by the TRS government for the last 8 years. They were left in the lurch whenever there was a crisis, he said.
Mr. Revanth Reddy went all out against Municipal Minister K.T. Rama Rao, who a day earlier targeted Mr. Reddy personally describing him as a ‘petty thief’ and that he could have never secure the PCC chief post if Telangana’s identity was not created in the form of a separate State. The Minister also questioned the role of Mr. Reddy in the separate Telangana agitation.
Mr. Reddy reminded how he was suspended from the Assembly for his aggression during the Governor’s address and said Mr. Rama Rao was nowhere in the picture.
On the role of Congress, he said the party delivered the separate State despite all odds while the TRS used it as a money-minting machine bringing elections and resorting to collections. He also recalled how Mr. Venkata Reddy resigned as Minister despite the party being power in both the State and Centre.
He cautioned the officials not to create hindrances for the meeting by showing over-enthusiasm. Such erring officials would not be spared once Congress comes to power, he said.
Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy objected to the language used against the Congress leaders by the TRS leadership and the contribution of the party leaders in the movement. He said TRS was snatching away lakhs of acres of assigned land given to poor people and they have to pay the price for the autocratic rule. He demanded compensation to farmers who were forced to stay away from cultivating paddy.
Madhu Yaskhi Goud said KCR’s family has become a danger to Telangana and it’s time people realise how they have become super-rich at the cost of the State.
Mr. Ponnala Lakshmaiah said Warangal’s meeting will create history and will bring Congress back to power.
Senior leaders Balaram Naik, Sircilla Rajaiah, Konda Murali, and Maheshwar Reddy were among those present.
