Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday lashed out at the AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Nirmal in Adilabad district.
TRS MPs – K. Kavitha (Nizamabad) and Konda Vishweshwar Reddy (Chevella) – in separate statements mocked at Mr. Gandhi’s tour. The Nizamabad MP said that AICC vice-president’s visit was more a reassurance visit for the local Congress leaders than one for the farmers. She reminded the Congress leaders that the highest number of suicides by farmers had taken place during the Congress regime.
Mr. Vishweswar Reddy said: “A democratic country like India needs a strong opposition. Rahul Gandhi and Congress should focus on issues that do not backfire on them. Selective amnesia will not serve their interests.”
Union Minister of State for Labour & Employment, Bandaru Dattatreya, squarely blamed the Congress and its skewed policies and held it responsible for the suicides of over 2,000 farmers during the UPA rule till recently.
At a press conference, he said Mr. Rahul Gandhi was welcome to visit Telangana, if his purpose was to learn in depth about things that were ‘beyond his comprehension’. “We have no objection to his visit, but if he has come here to play politics, the BJP would not keep quiet,” he warned.
“The State and the Centre are responsible for compounding the woes of farmers. They call Mr. Rahul’s tour as ‘Rytu Bharosa’ (Faith) but it is actually ‘Congress Bharosa’. Where were they all these days when farmers were killing themselves?” Mr. Dattatreya said. “Two key persons were missing in Telangana all through the agitation for a separate State. They are Sonia Gandhi and Rahul. The latter has appeared at last, but after the formation of the new State,” he said, evoking laughter.
