Karimnagar, October 20 — In a sharp attack on the newly formed Congress government in Telangana, senior BRS leader and Siddipet MLA, T. Harish Rao, declared that the “honeymoon period” for Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has ended. Speaking at the Alai-Balai program organized by former legislator Rasamai Balakishan in Thimmapur on Sunday, Rao urged the public and political parties to launch an agitation against the state government for failing to fulfill its promises.
Rao pointed out that Revanth Reddy had made lofty promises during the election campaign, often in the presence of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi. However, he alleged that these promises had not been met. Harish Rao specifically mentioned that before the elections, Rahul Gandhi appealed to the youth in Telangana by visiting libraries and seeking votes from the unemployed. Now, under the Congress government, job aspirants are being subjected to police lathi charges, he said. Rao even challenged Revanth Reddy to visit any library without security.
Criticism of GO 29 and Welfare Schemes
Harish Rao also questioned why the Congress government had not abolished Government Order (GO) 29, which was hindering constitutional opportunities for the youth and job seekers. He further accused Revanth Reddy of undermining the Constitution, contrasting his actions with Rahul Gandhi, who has been championing constitutional rights across the country.
Rao also took aim at the Congress government’s financial priorities, questioning how it could plan to spend ₹1.5 lakh crore on the Musi beautification project while simultaneously claiming that there were no funds to implement welfare schemes and fulfill promises made to the public. “Revanth Reddy is spending extravagantly on Musi, while turning a blind eye to the poor and making personal threats against us,” Rao said, referring to himself and BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao.
Farmer’s Plight Under Revanth Reddy
On the issue of farmers, Harish Rao accused Revanth Reddy of betraying the agricultural community. During the election campaign, Reddy had promised to give ₹15,000 Rythu Bharosa (financial aid) per acre of land, but Harish Rao pointed out that even the ₹10,000 provided by the previous BRS government had been discontinued by the Congress administration. He highlighted that the KCR-led BRS government had never suspended Rythu Bandhu support, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Revanth Reddy had failed to deliver on his promises.
Calling Revanth Reddy an “anti-farmer” Chief Minister, Harish Rao urged the farming community to unite and launch a protest against the Congress government. He claimed that Reddy’s government would not provide the Rythu Bharosa funds during the Rabi season either, further alienating the farming community. Rao also criticized the CM’s backtracking on the promised ₹500 bonus for paddy farmers, adding that Reddy’s government had placed additional conditions on the distribution of the bonus, limiting it to paddy sold at government procurement centers.
Loan Waiver Failures
Harish Rao also touched on the controversial crop loan waiver issue, criticizing Revanth Reddy for not delivering on his election promise to waive farmers’ loans. He cited the lack of progress in Manakondur village, where not a single farmer had seen their loan waived. Before the assembly elections, Revanth Reddy had promised to waive loans by December 9, 2023. Later, he postponed it to August 15, coinciding with the parliament elections. Now, the government is promising to complete the loan waiver process by December 9, 2024, but only for three lakh farmers, Rao noted.
Call for Agitation
Rao made it clear that there would be no compromise on holding the Congress government accountable. “We will not bow to personal threats from Revanth Reddy,” he stated, urging the people of Telangana to rise up in agitation until all the promises made by the Congress party during their election campaign are fulfilled.
