Massive crowds jammed several parts of the city as Rahul Gandhi entered the core city as a part of his Bharat Jodo Yatra and hoisted the national flag at the historic Charminar, and later addressed a street corner meeting where he charged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao with having a direct line where the latter is directed on his next move by the former.
Mr. Gandhi, who entered the city early in the morning turned up at the historic Charminar in the evening to unfurl the national flag exactly at the same spot where his father, the late Rajiv Gandhi unfurled it 32 years ago before starting his Sadbhavana Yatra for peace and harmony in the country. Mr. Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is also for the same cause.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi pays floral tributes to his father and former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi during the party’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’, at Charminar in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
As emotions engulfed him, he paid floral tributes to his father’s photograph on the stage. En route Charminar, he was welcomed by the party workers who showcased their love for him through banners and party flags adorning every pole and the building.
Mr. Gandhi, who reached Charminar from Laad Bazar road, was taken over by the beauty of the ‘four-minarets’ monument — the Icon of Hyderabad — and clicked a picture of it. Slogans like ‘Rajiv Gandhi Amar Rahe’ and ‘Bharat Jodo’ rent the air throughout the programme.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi with supporters during the partys Bharat Jodo Yatra, at Aramghar X Road in Hyderabad on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: RAMAKRISHNA G
TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy, AICC secretary K.C. Venugopal, former Union minister Jairam Ramesh, senior leaders V. Hanmanth Rao, T. Rammohan Reddy, Anjan Yadav were among present.
After unfurling the national flag, Mr. Gandhi continued his walkathon in the busy streets crossing Pathergatti market, Mozamzahi market and Nampally reaching the Necklace road on the banks of Hussain Sagar where he paid tributes to his grandmother and late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
Modi-KCR hotline
Addressing the huge gathering at the Necklace Road, Mr. Gandhi said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao have a direct line and Mr. Modi orders and KCR dances to his tune. Don’t be under the impression that they are different, he said amidst loud cheers from the gathering.
Further enforcing his argument, Mr. Gandhi said whenever the BJP brings a Bill in Parliament the TRS supports it without blinking an eyelid. If the Opposition rakes up some issue against the government the TRS takes up a different issue to divert the attention and help the BJP, he accused.
Without naming Ambani and Adani groups, he said he was surprised that the Hyderabad airport was still not owned by them. All the ports, airports, lands and industries in the country are being offered to them by Mr. Modi, he alleged. On the other hand, CM KCR was busy snatching lands after going through the data on the Dharani portal in the night while he was busy making money in the morning through the irrigation projects.
Appreciating Hyderabad for pushing itself onto the world map in Information Technology, he, however, said the engineers here have turned into pizza delivery boys due to a lack of employment support from the State and Central governments. Mr. Modi is silent these days after claiming for several years that he would provide 2 crore jobs every year.
AICC president Mallikarjun Kharge, Mr. Revanth Reddy, CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka and MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, MLC. T. Jeevan Reddy, senior leaders Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Geetha Reddy, Vamshichand Reddy, Shabbir Ali, Kommuri Pratap Reddy, Bandi Sudhakar Goud, Feroz Khan were among present.
