Harish Rao questioned Rahul Gandhi’s leadership, suggesting that he was more of a reader than a leader, citing the absence of promises or guarantees for Telangana’s development in his speeches
Published Date – 11:05 PM, Thu – 19 October 23
Hyderabad: Finance Minister T Harish Rao launched a broadside at the Congress leaders and making misleading promises – left, right and centre, without considering consequences of their implementation practically. He demanded to know in what capacity do Priyanka Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi were making these promises on behalf of the Congress party. He likened them to distant relatives who had least concern for the State’s well-being.
In a statement here on Thursday, Harish Rao questioned Rahul Gandhi‘s leadership, suggesting that he was more of a reader than a leader, citing the absence of promises or guarantees for Telangana’s development in his speeches. In a point-by-point rebuttal, he did not mince words while tearing into the false claims and accusations of the Congress MP.
In response to Rahul’s claims that five guarantees had been fulfilled in Karnataka, Harish Rao pointed out that against seven hours of power supply promised, farmers were receiving less than five hours. He contrasted Congress’s actions with the commitment of the BRS government to free and uninterrupted electricity.
The Finance Minister stated that while the BRS government was procuring entire paddy crop at MSP, the Congress which made a similar promise had imposed a restriction of procuring only 15 quintals per acre. He criticised the Congress’s misleading claim to have delivered Telangana, emphasising that Telangana statehood was achieved due to the struggle and sacrifices of the BRS and the people of Telangana.
“If Rahul Gandhi feels that there is no value for the struggle and sacrifices made by the people of Telangana and the BRS, he should explain who deserves the credit for India’s independence – the British who gave independence or the people who fought for it and achieved it,” he asked.
Harish Rao found fault with Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on crop loan waiver and pointed out that the BRS government waived off crop loans twice since the State formation. He highlighted the State’s robust medical and educational advancements under the leadership of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, emphasising the previous injustice inflicted on Telangana by the Congress even as the Congress-ruled Rajasthan is struggling to provide quality health care to its people. He accused the Congress leaders for ignoring Telangana’s cultural icons like the Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara and the Ramappa temple for several decades.