Raviryal (Ranga Reddy dist): Even a heavy rainfall did not deter tens of thousands of Dalits, tribals and others, including several Congress leaders, cadre and supporters, who stood their ground resolutely, to listen to the war cry of Pradesh Congress Committee president A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday against TRS chief and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao.
Mr Reddy did precisely that in a speech laced with characteristic lampooning, factual arguments and counter-arguments, and rhetorical narrative that left little doubt to the enthusiastic crowd that the Congress was going to go all out to dethrone the ruling government, powered by surging public support.
Revanth Reddy accused Chandrashekar Rao of being an enemy of Dalits, whose TRS government in the last seven years was systematically destroying education opportunities for poor, in particular, the Scheduled Castes and Tribes because an enlightened and knowledgeable citizen will fight for freedom is a threat to Mr Rao’s “corrupt and deceitful” governance.
He was addressing spirited crowds, who attended the second Dalit and Girijana meeting at Raviryal on the city’s outskirts in teeming thousands. The meeting gained significance with the participation of AICC in-charge Manickam Tagore and other central party leaders, in whose presence Revanth succeeded in exhibiting his connect with the Congress leaders, cadre and the general public, who stayed put, braving heavy downpour throughout the meeting.
Highlighting the fact that the KCR-led government had closed down thousands of government schools and colleges set-up during the Congress regime, Revanth said, “KCR accorded university status to Mallareddy and Anurag educational institutions, owned by his henchmen Malla Reddy (minister) and Palla Rajeswar Reddy (MLC) while destroying great institutes of excellence like Osmania, Kakatiya and other government universities.”
Hundreds of vacancies for faculty had been left unfilled in state educational institutions, he alleged.
The PCC president sought to expose what he described as KCR’s newfound Huzurabad by-poll-driven love for Dalits by narrating several incidents which he alleged bring out the true colours of Chief Minister Rao.
Referring to KCR prostrating before former President Pranab Mukherjee and former Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan several times (both hail from upper caste), Revenath Reddy wondered why the same KCR did not even care to wish President Ramnath Kovind (who belongs to the Scheduled Caste).
Revanth repeatedly called KCR and his son KTR as “sannasis” (fools), a word the Chief Minister always uses to refer to opposition leaders. He found fault with the Chief Minister for not extending the tenure of dailt IAS officer Pradeep Chandra as Chief Secretary who remained at the top bureaucratic position for a mere one month, in contradistinction to extended tenures for former chief secretary Rajiv Sharma and S. K. Joshi, besides the-then DGP Anurag Sharma. He dismissed the appointment of Rahul Bojja in the CMO as an eyewash. He also referred to Dalit officers Murali and R. S. Praveen Kumar quitting service in protest against the feudal and tyrannical rule of KCR.
The PCC chief also highlighted the Yacharam Pharama City, where he said the government had forcibly taken away 8,632 acres of assigned land from Dalits and tribals, paying pittance as compensation. Afterwards, the government sold away each acre for more than Rs 2 crore to corporate giants.
Is this justice to Dalits, Revanth questioned.
Revanth also ridiculed IT minister K. T. Rama Rao over the latter’s statement on Tuesday at a private function that he had “sneaked into politics, without the knowledge of his father”, who aspired to see him as an IAS officer.
“Whom are you trying to fool?” he questioned, amidst cheering by the crowds, pointing out that KCR had ditched K. K. Mahender Reddy and gave the party B-form to contest elections to his son.
“Let us struggle for 19 months and we will end the rule of KCR,” concluded Revanth, much to the delight of the crowds. “We will bring back Soniamma rajyam, where we will have justice, self-governance and self-respect.”
