Hyderabad, 29 Oct (PTI): Accusing the ruling BRS in Telangana and the BJP of working together, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao are “two sides of the same coin.”
Addressing public meetings in Sangareddy and Medak in the run-up to the November 30 Assembly polls in Telangana, Kharge said Indira Gandhi ji got elected from Medak, and then became PM of the country.
The three big Public Sector Enterprises here — BHEL, BDL and Ordnance Factory – are Indira Gandhi ji’s contribution, he said.
The Gandhi family has strengthened Telangana in every manner – by providing jobs to thousands of people (through these PSUs) and by forming a separate state, he said.
“And Modi is trying to sell them and who is supporting him…the BRS is supporting him. Both Prime Minister Modi and KCR are two sides of the same coin. On one side of the coin, it is Modi and another side it is KCR. Both are the same and working together and both want to scare us, but we are not afraid,” Mr Kharge said.
PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah always speak against Congress and now, BRS leaders have also started doing that, he said.
The UPA government brought in welfare schemes like MGNREGA, Right to Education, and Food Security, he said.
Accusing the BRS and the BJP of working together, Mr Kharge said, “The BJP and Modi question what has Congress done in 70 years? Did BJP bring Independence for the country? Now ‘B’ team of the BJP – BRS has also started asking such questions. It was the Congress party which fought for our independence. I think both have a secret pact and they only do the things which benefits them.”
Mr Kharge said the Congress always thinks of the poor and it is only the Congress which fights for the rights of the poor, students, farmers, women, Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
He asked the gathering to support the Congress, as it is the party which fights for the people and people’s rights and to save democracy and the Constitution.
Mr Kharge highlighted the six poll guarantees announced by the Congress in Telangana and assured that if the party comes to power in Telangana it will implement them in the state.
The Congress party has fulfilled the promises it made to the people of Karnataka, he said, adding “What we promise we deliver, but you promise only for votes and then go away.”
He attacked KCR, saying “KCR ji kept doing whatever he wanted and asked “who benefitted from it?” “Did students, women and farmers benefit? That’s why the Congress party is giving you six guarantees,” he said.
Attacking BRS leaders for raising doubts about implementation of the five guarantees of Congress in Karnataka, Kharge said Telangana Congress president A Revanth Reddy will arrange a luxury bus and take the BRS leaders to Karnataka and show them about the implementation of the promises.
He recalled that it was Sonia Gandhi who gave Telangana, and said she fulfilled the wishes of the people of Telangana.
“But BRS leaders forgot that. They should be ashamed of speaking against the Gandhi family. Those people who are now ruling the state and the party which is now ruling the state betrayed Sonia Gandhi. They sought blessings from her and changed the very next day,” Kharge said.
He said the Congress played a big role in the formation of Telangana and without Sonia this wouldn’t have been possible.
“The BRS says we did a lot (for the formation of a separate Telangana state). Had we not given (Telangana) you (KCR) would have not become the Chief Minister. You became Chief Minister because of the Congress,” Mr Kharge said.
He alleged there was corruption everywhere including Kaleswaram irrigation project in Telangana and accused KCR of pushing the state into a debt trap of ? 5 lakh crore.
“Such people have to be taught a lesson and hence support the Congress,” the Congress veteran said.
Mr Kharge further attacked PM Modi over the issue of jobs, saying 30 lakh posts are vacant in different government departments–railways, banks, and universities and he (Modi) gives appointment orders to only 2,000 to 5,000 people.
“The PM himself distributes certificates of appointment. No Prime Minister had done this. The clerk of departments concerned sends the appointment letters. But Modi ji does a show by taking photos while distributing certificates,” he said.
Mr Kharge further said Prime Minister Modi had not fulfilled promises of providing two crore jobs every year and “depositing” ? 15 lakh in bank accounts of people.