Hyderabad: A meeting of the state Congress core committee was held at Gandhi Bhavan to discuss the party’s all-India Bharat Bachao programme in Delhi on December 14, forthcoming municipal elections in Telangana and the hike in RTC fares. The meeting decided to organise candlelight rallies in all districts on Sunday against the murder of Priyanka Reddy. This will be followed by rallies on Monday to protest against the hike in RTC fares.
Those who participated in the meeting include AICC general secretary and Telangana incharge R.C. Khuntia, TPCC president and MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, MLC T. Jeevan Reddy, MLA T. Jayaprakash ‘Jagga’ Reddy, and former ministers Shabbir Ali and Ponnala Lakshmaiah.
The TPCC president held the TRS government responsible for the murder of Priyanka Reddy. He said the state government must clarify how Dr Priyanka Reddy could be murdered in a high security zone.
He observed that such incidents are happening in the state due to the indiscriminate sale of liquor. He demanded a control on the sale of liquor in the state, while completely banning it along highways. Mr Uttam Kumar Reddy said the TPCC core committee meeting condemned the state government for hiking the RTC fare by 20 paisa per kilometre. He felt the government should bear the losses in this regard.
On municipal elections, the TPCC president said Congress leaders of respective municipalities will select party candidates to contest the polls expected to be held in January next. TPCC will intervene only if local leaders fail in selecting the candidates.
The core committee meeting asked municipal leaders to campaign vigorously on the issue of RTC fare hike in the forthcoming municipal polls, particularly in urban areas. This will be advantageous for Congress in the municipal elections.
