Hyderabad: UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, visiting Telangana state for the first time after it was formed in June 2014, touched the hearts of the people saying, “Visiting Telangana after four-and-a-half years of its formation gave me a feeling of a mother visiting her children after a long time.”
This drew the loudest cheers from the massive crowd that had turned up for her public meeting at Medchal. With Congress president Rahul Gandhi looking on, Mrs Gandhi said, “A mother always wishes that her child flourishes. With that wish the UPA government had given separate Telangana.”
The emotional words struck a deep chord among those present, and was the talking point even as people were leaving the venue after the event. Significantly, this is the only public meeting that Mrs Gandhi has addressed during the current round of state elections.
Mrs Gandhi said, “The decision of giving Telangana state was very tough. Respecting the feelings of Telangana people, we decided to provide statehood. The decision was taken by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Mr Rahul Gandhi. Despite knowing that the party will be damaged politically, we stood for Telangana.”
Mrs Gandhi said that to ensure that there was no loss to Andhra Pradesh, the UPA government had introduced the reorganisation Bill with special category status and many other features. “We promise the people of AP that they will be fulfilled.”
“As a mother wishes for the development of her children, I wished for Telangana. Now I’m bothered about the people of Telangana. The development of the state was not done as expected. Have your dreams come true,” she asked. The crowd loudly responded in the negative.
The crowd erupted in cheers when she said the words “Nellu, Nidhulu, Niyamakalu (water, funds and jobs) in Telugu. She said, “The state of Telangana was formed on the basis of Nellu, Nidhulu, Niyamakalu. But, the farmers in Telangana are ending their lives. The land acquisition Bill is not properly implemented. I was proud during my last visit as the women in Andhra Pradesh were happy. I didn’t find it now. Not even Dalits and other communities are happy.”
Continuing on the theme, she said the future of a child depended on how parents reared them. “Telangana is a child, and the TRS government has damaged Telangana and it’s future. The upcoming elections are the future of Telangana. The people of Telangana should vote for Mahakutami parties with the same revolutionary spirit that was present during the Telangana movement. You should think, analyse and should vote for the Mahakutami.”
