Telangana Congress cadre responded enthusiastically to the party’s nationwide online campaign, Speak Up India, with several Congress leaders and workers logging into their social media platforms and registering their protest against the Central government blaming it for the unplanned lockdown leading to untold miseries.
While some posted videos on Facebook with statistics on how the poor suffered immensely, some others took to Twitter to express their anguish. The common thread was Rahul Gandhi’s suggestions to the government and AICC president Sonia Gandhi’s attack on the government’s failure to provide transport to the millions who are suffering with the businesses down and employment loss.
Leading the party workers, TPCC president, N. Uttam Kumar Reddy took to his social media platforms and demanded the Central government, as per the directions of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, extend cash assistance of ₹ 10,000 to all poor families, besides giving ₹7,500 per month for the next six months.
He also urged the government to ensure safe and free travel of migrant workers to their native places without further delay. He also wanted the Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao to immediately implement the 'Unemployment Allowance scheme' to provide ₹ 3,016 per month to all jobless youth in the State as promised in the 2018 as it was the most appropriate time for its launch. He urged the State government to waive off power and water bills for the lockdown period for all categories of consumers.
CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka urged the Prime Minister that the work days under MNREGA be extended to 200 days as suggested by the Congress leadership to facilitate jobs in rural areas that suffered hugely and will suffer more if the governments doesn’t respond.
TPCC working president A. Revanth Reddy said it is time the Prime Minister Narendra Modi listened to the ‘Mann Ki Baat’ of the common man than sharing his own. He said ₹3 three lakh crore budget meant for the defence be slashed and use that money for people’s welfare and support the MSEM sector. He also asked the PM to keep his promise of depositing ₹15 lakh in every account, besides bringing back the black money, as he promised.
Bhongir MP Komatireddy Venkata Reddy blamed both the Central and State governments for plight of people and said millions would have benefited had these governments followed what Sonia and Rahul Gandhi advised them.
Former TPCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah termed the government’s response as the poorest ever to such a huge tragedy humankind has faced and said Modi government focussed on publicity on unreal issues, leaving aside the real problems.
Senior Congress leaders Shabbir Ali, A. Sampath Kumar, Gudur Narayan Reddy and others also posted their views.
For the last two days the TPCC president held multiple video-conferences with the top leadership in Telangana, besides having tele-conference with nearly 27,000 Congress activists across Telangana motivating them to join the Speak Up programme to expose the government.
