Interview| Zero tolerance for vandalism in Telangana, only father son will be left in BRS: Mahesh Kumar Goud

Uplifting the downtrodden and ensuring that the benefits reach them is our goal, said TPCC president

By Kaniza Garari  Published on  7 Dec 2024 10:18 AM
Interview| Zero tolerance for vandalism in Telangana, only father son will be left in BRS: Mahesh Kumar Goud

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud

Hyderabad: Hyderabad city will be the focus of the Congress party as politically there is a need to gain traction in the city, explained Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Bomma Mahesh Kumar Goud about the one-year-rule of the Congress party in the State.

In a one-to-one interview with NewsMeter, Goud talked about the daily political jibes of Bharat Rashtra Samithi, the communalism of Bharatiya Janata Party and how Congress will only focus on the development and upliftment of the people of various sections of the society.

Q: How is the caste census, which the Telangana government says will be the model for the country, being carried out?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: The caste census in Telangana is a role model for the country. As much as 90 per cent of the work on caste census has been completed. The census has been done after following the due procedures of the government orders and we are very sure that the outcome of this census will help us draft our policies for local body and municipal elections in the State. Caste census is the priority of our leader Rahul Gandhi, and we have taken into account all the inputs that we have received from different stakeholders. We have been open to suggestions and are accordingly ensuring that the participation is maximum in the State.

Q: In Hyderabad, the participation has been very poor. Why?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: Yes, there is a challenge that we have come across in Hyderabad where the absentees are very high. At the time when enumerators visited homes, people were not there and in many places, people were not willing to disclose their details. For that reason, deputy chief minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka has said that there will be a resurvey in Hyderabad.

In the rest of the State, participation has been good as people have come forward with all their details.

Q: What is the policy program after the caste census?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: The results of the survey will give us the due representation of various castes and communities in the society. This will help us devise a policy for those who are left out and do not get the benefits of the government schemes. Uplifting the downtrodden and ensuring that the benefits reach them is our goal. The Congress party is for the development of everyone but everyone cannot progress if some segments of our society are always neglected. We will be able to plan policies for education, health and also political representation of these castes in the government and political systems.

Q: How does the Congress party look at Hyderabad after its one year in government?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: Hyderabad, we are a bit weak and there is a lot of work being done by the Congress cadre to create awareness of the benefits of various schemes to the people in the city. We are sure that this gap in Hyderabad for the Congress party will be covered soon.

Q: With the Congress government in power, there were also incidents of vandalism in temples that were noted in Hyderabad. What is the government doing about that?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: There is zero tolerance for any kind of vandalism in any of the religious places in the city and State. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has made it clear that the law and order of the State has to be maintained. The miscreants who are indulging in these activities are strictly being dealt with. The Congress party is a secular party and we donā€™t believe in the politics of religion like the BJP. Congress party believes in the development of all sections of society and all religions. It is the BJP that indulges in the politics of religion.

Q: The communal politics in Adilabad, Jainoor, has affected the business community of Muslims largely. What is the government doing over there? The markets have not opened and that affects the economy of the district.

Mahesh Kumar Goud: It was an unfortunate incident and communal forces in that region have been trying to create problems. Our minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) is working along with the party cadre to bring about harmony. The clash between two groups has led to differences and we are working to sort it out. The markets will be open soon.

Q: BRS has kept a close watch on the Congress government and there are daily jibes between the two parties on social media. Your comments?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: In the next few years, there will only be the father and son left in BRS. They have been talking a lot on social media but on the ground, Congress workers are doing their job. The corruption of BRS is known to all which is the reason the State is having so much debt. The Congress government has managed despite these financial constraints and we have delivered to the people what we promised.

Q: The Congress cadre in Telangana has been revived after coming to power. How do you plan to strengthen it further?

Mahesh Kumar Goud: The Telangana Congress party is being strengthened from the booth level and we are now to do a lot of training for our cadre. There are cadre from the downtrodden sections of the society who are going to be trained and who will become the strength for the party. The party needs the people of the State to know what the schemes and policies are.

For that reason, we will want our party cadre to be strong and coming from those sections of the society who need them the most. On one side we have the NSUI and also the professional Congress which is working with youth and professionals to ensure that every segment in the organisational structure is aware of what we are doing.

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