Rahul calls KCR mini Modi

Hyderabad: After a 15-km padayatra covering five villages in scorching heat and meeting the families of farmers who had committed suicide in Adilabad district, the 44-year-old AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and called KCR as “Mini Modi” who too had forgotten the poor.

"Modiji and mini-Modiji claim to change India and Telangana, but they forgot the poor who actually transform the country," Rahul said, without naming Rao. "If Modiji or the Chief Minister had met farmers here, there was no need for me to come here," he said making a point that the both the governments were ignoring farmers.

Taking on the NDA government for attempting to dilute the Land Acquisition Act passed by the Congress-led UPA government in 2013, he said, "If land is taken from you, it will be taken without seeking your consent. There will be no social audit. If no work starts even after five years, 10 years, 15 years and 50 years of taking the land from farmers, you will not get your land back, that is Modi’s concern for the poor.”

He alleged that “Make in India” and “Bangaru Telangana” are merely slogans of the two Modis. He alleged that inefficiency of these governments had resulted in unabated suicides by farmers across the nation. The Centre and Telangana Governments have miserably failed to address the burning problems of farmers, who are the backbone of the country.

"When there is a hail-storm or unseasonal rains, Modiji doesn't visit the farmers. Here in Telangana, 'mini-Modi' (KCR) doesn't see the farmers' plight," the Congress vice-president said. Recalling that Narendra Modi had said that “Good days are ahead for the people” during election meetings, Rahul quipped that Prime Minister Narendra Modi alone was enjoying good days after elections by wearing a suit worth over Rs 10 lakh and visiting foreign countries.

One Modi was ruling the country from Delhi, another Modi was ruling the Telangana State. “Did the BJP and TRS governments give a job to a single person,” he asked. Continuing his attack, the young Gandhi said, both “Modis” did not care to console the kin of distressed farmers, who committed suicides due to unbearable crop loss and debts. Rahul said he would not have visited Telangana to console kin of farmers, had the former came to their rescue and helped them financially.

"The NDA government at the Centre as well the TRS government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao in Telangana claim to work for Make in India and providing jobs," Rahul said and asked if anyone in the gathering had got a job after the two governments assumed office about a year ago.

Vowing that the Congress would stand by farmers both in Parliament and on the streets, he claimed that people he had met admitted to have made a mistake (by voting for BJP in 2014 elections). Observing that Congress is not against development, he said the party is only opposed to crony capitalism. "Today, the governments in India and in Telangana are being run for a few people, he said.