Telangana: Rahul Gandhi targets corrupt KCR govt, ensures loan waiver and employment

Accusing Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) of enriching his family at the cost of Telangana, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday November, 29, promised farm loan waiver and employment for youths if the Congress-led Peoples Front won the Assembly elections.

Campaigning for the Congress-led coalition here in Jayashankar Bhupalpally district, Gandhi simultaneously targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi and KCR for crony capitalism and denying rights and protection to tribals and farmers.”

"Modi at the Centre and KCR in the state diluted laws meant to protect the land of tribals. The result is tribal land is being snatched for industrialists without proper compensation. Despite having so much land and forest, tribals here have no protection and their rights are consistently trampled upon," said Gandhi.”

“KCR govt had promised to establish Tribal University, but they failed to fulfill their promise. Congress govt will ensure that even their promises are fulfilled said the Congress President

“During UPA govt, we had introduced Tribal Bill throughout the country. We had promised Adivasis of the country that the benefits of land, water and forest belongs to them. However, today, these rights are not enforced” He said

He also added the only job KCR government had done is renaming old Congress government projects and inflating their cost to enrich the Chief Minister and his family and friends.

"Wherever you go you can see how your Chief Minister has indulged in corruption. He had promised jobs to two lakh youths but the only one to get the benefits are his family and friends," said Gandhi, while accusing KCR of plunging Telangana into debts.

"When KCR became the Chief Minister, Telangana had a surplus of ₹ 17,000 crore but today it is reeling under debts of over ₹ 2.5 lakh crore.

"On one hand KCR is burdening every family with debts ( of ₹60,000 ), on the other hand his son's income has grown by over 400 %," said Gandhi, referring to KCR's son K.T. Rama Rao whose annual income has increased from ₹ 29 lakh in 2014 to around ₹74 lakh in 2018.

Gandhi blamed the Rao-led government of giving employment to his family members while failing to give jobs to crore of unemployed youths

Claiming that over 4,500 farmers committed suicide during the KCR regime, Gandhi pledged to cancel farm loans to the tune of₹2 lakh each and giving minimum support price (MSP) for 17 crops including ₹2,000 for paddy, ₹ 7,000 for cotton and₹10,000 for chillies.

He also promised setting up 30-bed hospitals in every subdivision and giving ₹ 5 lakh to eligible families to build houses. He also assured setting up a tribal university in the state and preventing the privatisation of the Singareni coal mines.

We have mentioned singareni in the manifesto, 2-3 things that will be done, the contract or temporary workers will be regularised and those who have been removed from their jobs will be considered sympathetically : Congress President

"Without protection of farmers and jobs to youth, a state cannot progress. KCR made only promises but never bothered to fulfil them," said Gandhi.

Ridiculing KCR for not fulfilling the promise of building 22 lakh houses, Gandhi said it was time for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief to take rest in his "₹300 crore" house and let the Congress-led coalition work for the state.

In his public Rally held on Wednesday, November 28 The congress president said "When we were fighting over land acquisition bill in parliament, TRS was helping BJP. TRS helped RSS and Modi in every bill” Adding to this He called TRS the B-Team of Sangh parivar

He also accused the KCR government of supporting Modi’s divisive politics and acting against tribals, minorities of the state.

“First we will beat KCR on here, then defeat Narendra Modi in Delhi in 2019" said the Congress President

Besides the Congress and Telegu Desam Party, the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) are constituents of the People's Front.

Elections to the 119-member Assembly are scheduled for December 7