Congress to prioritise empowerment of SCs, STs and minorities

HYDERABAD: Strategist Sunil Kanugolu on Sunday motivated Congress leaders from the state to take forward the message of empowerment of Dalits, SCs and BCs, and waiver of farm loans across the state.

He asked the leaders to plan a series of programmes for the next few days, including the bus yatra that will take off later this month. The route and duration of the bus yatra will be decided soon.

Kanugolu has reportedly asked the party to improve its situation in Nizamabad, Karimnagar and Adilabad parliamentary constituencies. It underscored the importance of attracting BCs into the party fold. The PCC president is said to have ordered a team to immediately identify two seats per parliamentary constituency.

The party leaders will reiterate that it will honour its promises of '4,016 to those eligible, 'two lakh loan waiver for farmers and other promises to the people.

The party will form a sub-committee to explain its plans to elevate the standards of SCs, STs and minorities while exposing the BRS government.

Briefing the media later, leaders confirmed that Priyanka Gandhi will attend the meeting in Kollapur in which Jupally Krishna Rao will formally join the party. Many from BRS and BJP leaders are also expected to join during the programme.

A meeting of SC, ST and minority garjana will be held on Independence Day, which AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge is likely to attend.

The leaders took credit for the BRS announcement that it would pay '4,016 to the disabled.

"This is a victory for us as the government has been forced to act", they said.

PAC convener Mohd Ali Shabbir said, “The party will come out with OBC, SC, ST, Muslim, Christian and mahila declarations. We will form a sub-committee to look into this. This committee, which will include scholars from these communities, will figure out other initiatives that could benefit them."

The meeting condoled the death of former Kerala chief minister Oommen Chandy and former minister C. Ramachandra Reddy.

"We strongly condemn the indifference of the Modi government with regard to Manipur. The Manipur government should be suspended and peace restored."

Apart from the demand for further expansion of the PCC (Pradesh Congress Committee) it will take stock of the issues raised by Rao and Goud with the plea that many capable leaders have been left out of the committee. Renuka Chowdhury is said to have lamented that she was not informed about the meeting in Khammam.

Those who attended the meeting include TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, AICC Telangana in-charge Manikrao Thakre, Sampath Kumar, Jana Reddy, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Mohd Ali Shabbir , Renuka Chowdhury, V. Hanumantha Rao, Jeevan Reddy, Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Mahesh Kumar Goud, Anjan Kumar Yadav, Chinna Reddy, Madhu Yashki Goud, Balaram Naik among others.