Khammam: The Congress is taking a leaf straight out of TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s book; it is building its election campaign on the slogan of “Telangana self respect”.
Mr Rao had successfully moved the masses with the self- respect slogan during the Telangana statehood movement and now, the Congress plans to counter him with the same slogan.
Recent incidents have given the Congress enough ammunition to launch an all-out attack on the TRS.
TPCC working president and chairman of the party’s campaign committee Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka is taking every opportunity to raise the handcuffing of farmers of Mudigonda, who were arrested for demand remunerative prices for their farm produce.
Mr Vikramarka says that the shameful incident was an affront to the self respect of Telangana farmers and blames Mr Rao for the incident.
At every platform, he is also raising the police action against Osmania University students. Mr Vikramarka says the students were humiliated by cops several times and their movement restricted.
“The premises of the University was turned into an open air jail,” he is alleging, asking whether the students are living in India or a foreign country. The self-respect of the students was dented with such acts, Mr Vikramarka said.
He is also reminding of the police cases against that unemployed Dalit youth from Sircilla and Nerella and alleges third degree methods were used against them. The party reminds voters that the family members of these youth experience untold hardships.
Lastly, the alleged tying up of tribal women of Bhupalapalli to trees and torturing them has been pounced upon by Mr Vikramarka. “Where is the self-respect to farmers, students, youth, women and dalits in KCR regime?” he asked.
The Congress campaign committee chief, who began his election campaign after offering puja at the Venkateswara Swamy temple at Jamalapuram in Errupalem on Wednesday, told this newspaper: “Congress will work on these lines in the elections and expose the undemocratic acts of KCR in Telangana. Rights of Telangana citizens are being violated and closing of the Dharna Chowk at Indira Park in Hyderabad is among his tyrannical decisions.”
