Telangana: At Peddapalli rally, KCR once again reveals his national political ambitions

KCR calls for a 'BJP-mukt Bharat'; says Centre is tyrannical and is imposing an unbearable burden of taxes on people.

ByRaj Rayasam

Published Aug 29, 2022 | 6:46 PMUpdatedAug 29, 2022 | 6:46 PM

KCR with farmers

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday, 29 August, made no secret of his ambition to lead the nation while predicting that the next government at the Centre will be farmer-centric, and one that will put the economy back on the rails.

Addressing a huge public meeting at Peddapalli after inaugurating an integrated collectorate complex, the chief minister said: “About 100 farmers’ representatives who met yesterday and the day before expressed their desire that I should play a major role in national politics by founding a national party as they wanted the schemes that are in force in Telangana for the welfare farmers to  be made available all over the nation.”

The chief minister elicited a response from the people about whether he should take the cue from the farmers’ representatives and take a deep dive into national politics. He said that the BJP should be jettisoned at any cost and a government wedded to the cause of the farmers should take over.

“A BJP-mukt Bharat should be unveiled by throwing out these corrupt vultures,” he said.

Launching a blistering attack on the BJP for all-round corruption, he described them as demons and bandits who were out to plunder the nation.

“They come here for the same purpose, while “their minions” in Telangana carry their footwear, oblivious of the fact that they were placing at their feet Telangana’s self-respect which we could attain after 60 years of struggle,” he said

The chief minister said that Narendra Modi came to power promising the Gujarat model of development all over the country. The leaders claim that they have prohibition in Gujarat, but adulterated liquor is flowing all over the state. Who should take responsibility for the recent 75 hooch-tragedy deaths in Gujarat?” he asked.

He said that the BJP government had become tyrannical over time by imposing an unbearable burden on people in the form of taxes.

“The Centre has hiked prices without any concern for the poor and the middle class. The price of gas, diesel, and petrol has gone up, while milk, handloom products, and even crematoria are now attracting GST. The Centre is tormenting the poor while at the same time resorting to corruption in lakhs and crores of rupees. As if this were not enough, the BJP leaders are fanning flames of communalism. Do you want blood or water to flow in the Godavari,” he asked the people.

Reeling off the Centre’s anti-farmer policies, the chief minister said the one such measure that was causing concern was to fix meters to agriculture pumpsets.

“Even the farmers who called on me from other states were against it. Why should there be meters? In fact, the farm sector does not need more than 20.8 percent of the total power generated, and yet the Centre wants to burden the farmer by fixing meters,” he said.

The cost of this power, according to KCR, was about ₹1.45 lakh crore. This, he said, is less than the NPAs that banks have accumulated because “looting by the greedy corporates continued unhindered”.

The chief minister recalled people in Sri Lanka raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for asking the government there to entertain the entrepreneur of his choice in entrusting works.

KCR also announced ₹10 lakh each for the 266 gram panchayats in the district and ₹1 crore each to four municipalities, including Peddapalli, for use in development works.