KCR Credits NTR for Rice Subsidy, Attacks Congress for 50 Years of Failures'

WARANGAL: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Monday ramped up his attack on the Congress’ ‘Indiramma Rajyam’ rhetoric, saying that poor people of the state only started eating rice due to the Rs 2 per kg subsidy scheme introduced by former chief minister N.T. Rama Rao.

“If development took place in Indiramma Rajyam, then why did people migrate to Mumbai and Bivandi? If people were happy under the reign of the Congress government, then why did NTR form a separate party and become the Chief Minister?” Rao said.

Addressing Praja Ashirvada Sabha meetings in Manakondur, Station Ghanpur, Nakrekal and Nalgonda Assembly segments on the day, he said: “Indiramma Rajyam means emergency, encounters, Naxalite movements and arrests of all who raised their voice against the Congress.”

He said that it was the Congress which merged Telangana with Andhra Pradesh, going against the Fazal Ali Commission.

Rao drew loud cheers when he said that autorickshaw drivers would be exempt from paying fees to get fitness certificates, while simultaneously blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “forcibly collecting tax from poor autorickshaw drivers by hiking fuel prices”.

On the Congress’ plan to introduce a new portal to replace Dharani, Rao said: “Congress party leaders are saying that they will throw Dharani in Bay of Bengal and will introduce Bhoomatha scheme. It is not the Bhoomatha; it will become the Bhoometha scheme. Farmers will face a lot of hardships with middlemen if Dharani portal is removed and will shed a lot of money for every small work.”

He questioned Congress’ claims on the upliftment of poorer sections.

“When Nehru and Indira Gandhi thought about upliftment of Dalit people, then why are they facing problems even today? For the past 75 years, people of Dalit community were discriminated against. To empower them and teach a fitting lesson to all political parties, the BRS government introduced Dalit Bandhu scheme, which is enlightening the lives of Dalit people,” he said.

The Congress itself lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India about farm loan waivers given by the BRS government and blamed the BRS later that it failed to waive loans. “After coming to power, the remaining farm loans will be waived off immediately along with regularisation of TSRTC employees,” Rao said.

He said that under the reign of the Congress government, Manikyapuram Oggu artist Chukka Sattaiah went for 58 borewells to irrigate his fields, but did not get the water. “But today, farmers are growing various types of crops across the state with the enormous water supply with irrigation projects taken up by the BRS government,” Rao said.

The Chief Minister said that despite ruling for more than 50 years, the Congress did not supply water for irrigation and drinking. “With what face are the Congress leaders coming to ask votes from Telangana people?” he said.

Urging voters to opt for the BRS, he said: “The BRS was born for the well-being of the people of Telangana. Because of continuous movements led by the BRS for over 15 years, the dream of separate Telangana state was achieved. People should think wisely before casting their vote and should not fall prey to the mesmerising words and promises of Opposition parties, which would plunge their futures into darkness.”