Rahul Gandhi Targets KCR, Says Telangana Not Formed for His Family

Sangareddy (Telangana): Saying that the Telangana government was not going in the right direction, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has asked Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao if the state was formed for the benefit of his family.

Gandhi, who was addressing a public meeting in Sangareddy, said while it was not possible to fulfil the dreams of Telangana residents in three years, the state government had not made the “right beginning”.

Targeting KCR’s family—his minister-son K T Rama Rao, daughter and Lok Sabha member K Kavitha, and nephew and minister Harish Rao — without naming them, Rahul asked if students and farmers fought for the creation of Telangana for a “single family”.

“Has the state been created just for four people,” he said, and alleged that the CM was not taking along with him students, youth, women and backward classes. Only contractors and land mafia are benefiting.

The Congress leader addressed the public meeting on the eve of the third formation day of Telangana. He said the UPA government formed separate Telangana, though there was opposition to the move, as it understood the pain of the people and their yearning for a bright future in their own state. However, the dreams of the people for a separate state are not being fulfilled now, alleged Rahul.

The venue of the meeting had immense sentimental value for the Congress as it was at the same location where Indira Gandhi kicked off her election campaign in 1979-80 and went on to win back the Prime Minister’s post.

Saying that the biggest challenge in the country is massive job creation for the youth, Rahul said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and CM Rao have to answer the question about who will create this job.

“If Modi and KCR won’t reply to the question, Congress will answer it (when it comes to power),” he said.

Rahul charged the CM with “snatching” MPs, MLAs from the Congress and other elected representatives.

“Do you want to waste your strength and future with the four member family? What kind of Telangana is being formed. Is it 'bangaru' (golden) Telangana?” he asked.

The Congress vice-president said 2,855 farmers have committed suicide in the three-year tenure of the TRS government, including 100 in the CM’s constituency.

“Farmers have given their blood and sweat for creating Telangana. They did not do so for creating a graveyard,” Rahul said.

He claimed the Modi government promised to give two crore jobs to the youth every year but the Centre, in reply to a query in Parliament recently, admitted that unemployment is highest in the past seven years.

(With PTI inputs)