BJP govt trying to erase role of minorities in Freedom movement: Bhatti

Khammam: Congress leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said on Thursday that the BJP government at the Centre was bent on erasing from history the role of minorities in the Freedom movement.

“The minorities played a key role in the Independence struggle. Freedom fighters like Abdul Kalam Azad and Sayyed Fazal Ul-Hasan worked shoulder to shoulder with Mahatma Gandhi. Sayyad Fazal placed a resolution seeking ‘Complete freedom to India’ in the 1921 Congress session in Ahmedabad,” he noted.

The Azadi ka Gaurav Yatra led by Vikramarka reached Pallepadu in Wyra constituency on Thursday.

He said, “This apart, the famous slogan Inquilab Zindabad was given to the country by Sayyed Fazal and it inspired the youth and guided them to the revolutionary path against British imperialism. Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrasekhar Azad were inspired by the slogan.”

“It is really sad if we seek to dismiss the role of such leaders in the Independence movement. The Indian Constitution speaks of fraternity and equality in social life to all the people. The BJP line is against such a concept, but the Congress party is campaigning on such issues during our Azadi Ka Gaurav march in the country,” he said.

Referring to the crop losses to farmers due to floods and incessant rains, Bhatti Vikramarka urged the government to pay Rs 15,000 as compensation to the farmers. “The government has not sent the officials to the fields to evaluate the crop loss even after a month of the rains,” he said.

Mulugu MLA and AICC women wing general secretary Sitakka said the NDA government increased petrol and diesel prices eight times in the last eight years. “There is no way for the common man to live peacefully with the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities due to the GST imposition on all prices,” she said.

Sitakka said the Congress will waive upto Rs 2 lakh of loan to the farmers immediately after returns to power. Sithakka’s Azadi Ka Gaurav Yatra reached Lingapur in the Mulugu district through Venkatapur and Lingapur.