Ponnam livid at Shah for targeting Cong; accuses BJP of spreading lies

Hyderabad: BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that his Hyderabad visit was focused entirely on attacking the Congress rather than addressing the assurances made to Telangana during bifurcation.

Ponnam questioned why Shah had failed to discuss the promises made to Telangana at the time of its formation. He accused the BJP of spreading false propaganda against the Congress and challenged Shah to explain how many infiltrators had been identified, removed from electoral rolls and deported. He also demanded evidence of the verification process and called for a parliamentary debate.

Alleging that votes belonging to SC, ST, BC and minority communities were being deleted, Ponnam questioned the distribution of voter deletion forms from RSS and BJP offices. He said the Congress was committed to protecting eligible voters' rights.

He accused the Centre of favouring corporate groups and alleged that a 'Modi-Amit Shah tax' was operating across the country. He also questioned the Centre over Telangana's tax contributions and the funds returned to the state.

Ponnam said the Congress government was implementing its Six Guarantees, including fine-quality rice, ration cards, 200 units of free electricity, free bus travel for women and job recruitment. He urged the Centre to provide assistance to Telangana in tackling drought conditions caused by El Niño.

Questioning the BJP's unfulfilled promises, he cited assurances of farmer pensions, free electricity, Rs. 15 lakh for every household, reduced prices and petrol at Rs. 50 per litre. He accused the BJP of handing over national resources to corporate groups and criticised the Centre's handling of Manipur.

In a separate press meet, Government Whip Addanki Dayakar alleged that Amit Shah's Hyderabad rally had failed to attract public attention, adding that even BJP workers had shown little enthusiasm.

He said rallies organised merely to counter Rahul Gandhi's meetings would not yield results unless they addressed people's concerns. Dismissing claims that the Congress was on a ventilator, Dayakar described Rahul Gandhi as a 'young tiger' and claimed that the BJP was in a critical condition under Modi and Shah.

Responding to speculation about attempts to remove Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, he said the BJP should abandon such ambitions, asserting that the Congress would defeat the party politically.

Dayakar accused the BJP of favouring corporate interests and said the Revanth Reddy government was implementing the Six Guarantees. Taking a swipe at the BJP, he declared that the Congress would ensure the party never gained a foothold in Telangana.

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