Khammam: Rahul Gandhi rules out alliance with BRS; says 'will repeat Karnataka in Telangana'

Hyderabad: Months after his ‘Bharat Jodo yatra’ passed through Telangana, Rahul Gandhi’s arrival at the Khammam rally appeared to be momentous.

In this public meeting with a mammoth gathering of about 2.5 to 3 lakhs as the ‘disqualified MP’ started addressing, the frenzy heightened with reverberations of ‘PM PM PM’, sometimes interrupting his speech.

Appearing much more optimistic and sanguine this time than his last year’s visit, Rahul Gandhi asserted that Congress will repeat Karnataka this time. He said unlike earlier presumptions that there will be a triangular contest between Congress, BJP, and BRS, this time the contest in the state will be between Congress and the BRS, the ‘B-Team of BJP’.

“In Telangana, BJP has been relegated and they were caught unawares similar to an experience where all the tires of a speeding car are suddenly flattened. Now the contest will be between Congress and BJP’s B-Team. Similar to BJP’s defeat in Karnataka, we shall ensure BJP’s B-Team losses here,” he asserted amid cheering crowds in the Telangana Janagarjana Sabha which marked the conclusion of CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka’s 1360 km People’s March padayatra.

Cannot strike a deal with BJP’s B-Team

Further, Rahul Gandhi cleared any spec of doubt that there will be any future alliance with BRS. He emphasized it through the clear stand taken by the party, to keep the BRS at bay, from the possibility of alignment of a front against BJP. “In the recent meeting of Opposition parties, they thought of inviting BRS. We categorically made a point that if BRS is invited then the Congress won’t be attending. As we are aiming to dislodge it in Telangana, we won’t be sitting with them. We cannot strike a deal with BJP's B-Team,” he clarified.

BRS is BJP Rishtedar Samithi

Rahul Gandhi also tried to explain how TRS was modified into BRS and what type of forces worked behind the transformation. “Owing to the indulgence of corruption, the pressure of Narendra Modi was built around KCR. All the agencies are well informed about the Liquor scam. They (BRS leaders) acknowledged that they are the B-Team and changed the name and BRS stands for BJP Rishtedar Samithi and we shall ensure that this party is defeated,” he emphasized.

Cheyutha, the poll promise

As part of Telangana’s poll promise, Rahul Gandhi promised to provide a pension of Rs 4,000 as part of the proposed ‘Cheyutha’ scheme. Besides the elderly, widows, single women, people with disabilities, beedi workers, handloom workers, and AIDS victims amongst others will be covered. Rahul Gandhi also promised of handing over all the Podu lands to Tribals. He also welcomed those who had left the party and considered rejoining it.

KCR treating Telangana as 'personal fiefdom'

The Congress leader recalled how Telangana was achieved and ended up being the personal fiefdom of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. “Telangana was a dream; a dream of the poor, of the farmers, dream of the laborers, dream of the farmers. But in the past nine years, the dream was crushed by TRS. You dreamt of something and TRS turned it into something else. The Chief Minister believes that he is the king of Telangana and Telangana is his fiefdom,” he underlined.

Bhatti concludes his walkathon by traveling over 100 days

The Padayatra taken up by Bhatti Vikramarka concluded after 109 days in Khammam on Saturday. He kickstarted his yatra as a follow-up ‘Bharat Jodo yatra’ from Pipri village in Boath Assembly constituency in Adilabad district covering 17 districts and 36 constituencies traversing through 750 villages, while ‘exposing the failures’ of the BRS government.

BRS created hurdles to people attending meeting: Cong

Meanwhile, as the Congress leaders were gearing up for the grand public meeting, there were reports of that policeman, RTA officials, and even local BRS leaders trying to create hurdles for the participants. Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy appealed to KCR not to create hurdles for the Khammam meeting. He alleged the RTC buses were denied and police were stopping all vehicles leading to the meeting venue. Other Congress leaders alleged that the BRS government tried its best to ensure that Rahul Gandhi’s Khammam public meeting turns unsuccessful.

There were also allegations that local leaders threatened to cancel welfare schemes for the people going to attend the meeting. “There were instances where vehicles were seized, placing of barricades, pasting of posters cautioning those attending a public meeting, besides threatening of welfare schemes cancellation,” said Sama Ram Mohan Reddy, one of the party’s spokespersons.

Later by evening some senior leaders like V Hanumantha Rao also took matters into hands and visited the district Police Commissionerate. “My leader Rahul Gandhi is coming, you should not stop anybody,” cautioned Rao.

He said he will be forced to do a sit-in protest if vehicles are stopped. “There will be repercussions if vehicles are stopped. In a democracy everyone has the right to hold meetings,” he added.