Hyderabad: Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy expressed confidence that the Congress would secure a higher vote share in the Lok Sabha polls in the state than the 39.5 per cent that it got in the Assembly polls in November 2023. He opined that there was an 'anti-Modi' wave in the country and if the BJP failed to secure the required majority on its own no NDA partner would support him for a third term. He ridiculed BJP's slogan "Ab Ki Baar, 400 paar' asking how could it could 400 seats when it was contesting only in 336 seats.
Addressing a press conference in his home Assembly segment of Kodangal in the Mahbubnagar Lok Sabha constituency on Monday, Revanth Reddy reiterated that he considered the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana a referendum on the four-month rule of the Congress government.
He alleged that the BJP was hatching conspiracies to disturb peace and harmony by whipping up communal passions for political interests. “The BJP has been conspiring to divert all investments to Gujarat by disturbing peace and tranquility in Telangana state, similar to conditions that it had created in Uttar Pradesh to divert investments.”
Revanth Reddy said he was committed to waive crop loans of farmers up to `2 lakh by August 15 as promised and that it was not an impossible task as claimed by Opposition parties.
"Modi has served as Prime Minister for 10 years and as Chief Minister for 13 years. Yet, he has not understood our Constitution. There are no religion-based reservations. They were being implemented on the basis of social backwardness,” he said, asking why the NDA was not announcing that it would scrap reservations for Muslims in Andhra Pradesh.
He alleged that the Election Commission had ignored hate speeches and unconstitutional statements of Modi and BJP leaders while targeting I.N.D.I.A bloc leaders on minor issues. He asked why the Election Commission had not initiated action on BJP leader Navneet Kaur for her 'give us 15 seconds' remark. The Union home ministry had initiated action against Congress leaders for a video that went viral, he said.
Revanth Reddy asked whether or not Modi would come under the self-imposed rule of retirement for elected representatives at 75 years of age in the BJP.
" That is how he acted against L.K. Advani, Murali Manohar Joshi and senior leaders. Now that Modi is 74 years old, just one more year is left for his retirement. I want to pose the same question to Modi. Are you ready to retire at 75," Revanth Reddy asked.
Revanth Reddy alleged that Modi had pushed India into a debt trap with his flawed economic policies. "I want to remind you of one thing. From 1947 to 2014, 14 Prime Ministers, for almost 67 years, borrowed `55 lakh crores. Modi alone borrowed `113 lakh crores in the past 10 years . He has ruined this country. The country is in a crisis. He has to take responsibility. Whatever documents he is submitting, we are not going to believe those documents because he can go to any level to win elections. He doesn't have integrity or credibility."
