Hyderabad: Responding to a call by the AICC, Telangana state Congress leaders held a ‘Satyagraha Deeksha’ at the Gandhi Bhavan here on Wednesday, protesting the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from Parliament.
The leaders also averred that the BRS government had failed to deliver free power to farmers for 24 hours during their nine years. The deeksha was held under the aegis of TPCC working president Mahesh Kumar Goud.
“Desperate attempts by Kalvakuntla brother and sister to cry hoarse over ‘three hour’ power comment will not bring them back to power for a third time. We will come to power and provide free power for 24 hours,” said TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy said in a tweet.
Speaking on the issue, AICC state in-charge Manikrao Thakre said, “Free power scheme was started by us. We will continue it but will end the corruption in it.”
The satyagrahis also said that the the duo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union home minister Amit Shah was behind the judgment against Rahul Gandhi and was a ploy to trouble the resurgent Congress, which is all set to secure 100 seats and romp home to power in Telangana state, said TPCC senior vice president Mallu Ravi. "We are also set to win elections in MP, Rajasthan and Chattisgarh."
“People have made up their mind to vote for the Congress to save democracy at both state and Central level,” he said.
The BJP government even forced Rahul Gandhi to vacate his house immediately.
Both the BJP and the BRS are two sides of the same coin. it is clear to everyone that the BRS is the B-team of the BJP. “We won the Karnataka polls and we will win here also,” he added.
Former TPCC president Ponnala Laskhmaiah, said, “The timeline of the case against Rahul Gandhi shows how the case was used with a motive to unfairly remove him from the Parliament and muzzle his voice. The strength of democracy depends on the strength of each pillar and one should complement
each other.”
Speaking at the deeksha, Congress MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy said, “Rahul
Gandhi did not speak of politics in the entire yatra though there were elections in Karnataka. He carried the message of unity and love across the country. We will challenge his conviction in the apex court. He comes from a family which sacrificed his grandmother and father for the nation.”
Commenting on BRS protests, he said, “BRS leaders are using money made
through illegal sand mining, illegitimate land and other real estate deals to mobilise people against us. Employees of power companies are not being paid properly and are facing problems in paying their EMIs. I can prove they are not providing 24 hours power, in fact they are not even giving six hours of power in many areas. I am ready to resign if found wrong. Is K.T. Rama Rao ready for an open debate?”
“Modi is behaving like a dictator. If he continues to behave like this, people will teach him a lesson,” said AICC member Sampath Kumar.
Pooh-poohing any doubts over the continuation of free power scheme for farmers, Congress MLA from Manthani D. Sridhar Babu said, “The BJP found
itself on defensive post Rahul’s Bharat Jodo yatra, and connived to disqualifiy him to stop his struggle. The BRS started drama to disturb our satyagraha. It proves they are hand in glove with BJP. We will continue the free power scheme after we win the elections.”
Mahila Congress activists also participated in the protest. State Mahila Congress president Sunitha Rao and other women activists burnt an effigy of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao as part of it.
Other senior Congress leaders who took part in the protest include AICC secretary Mansoor Ali Khan, former minister Shabbir Ali, MLA Jagga Reddy,
former MP Ponnam Prabhakar, Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy, among others.
