Revanth Reddy Leads All-Party Agitation Against TRS, BJP

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & MP A Revanth Reddy gave a call for an "Aakhari Poratam" (final struggle) to achieve a Telangana which guaranteed transparency, social justice and self-rule.

He was addressing the Maha Dharna at Dharna Chowk, Indira Park, jointly organized by all opposition parties on Wednesday to protest against the rising inflation and the Podu lands issue, and the "anti-people" policies of TRS government in Telangana and the BJP government at the Centre.

Eminent leaders and thousands of activists belonging to the Congress, CPI, CPI (M), TDP, TJS, CPI-ML, Inti Party and New Democracy participated in the dharna.

Reddy began his speech with a Lal Salaam, and said that the scene at Dharna Chowk resembled the agitations held to achieve statehood for Telangana.

He claimed although a geographically separate Telangana has been achieved, the people of Telangana did not get social justice and self-rule

He alleged that the TRS government was preventing the tribals from exercising their right to cultivation on the podu lands. He said the tribals had been cultivating the podu lands for decades, and that following public movements by the Left and other parties, the then Congress-led UPA government had introduced the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, to grant cultivation rights to the tribals. However, the TRS government was canceling those pattas, and such lands were being illegally acquired in the name of Haritha Haram, and projects like Mallanna Sagar and Pharma City.

Reddy also claimed that KCR had given away lands worth thousands of crores in Poppulaguda, Kokapet, Narsing and other places to his relatives.

"Telangana was formed for the benefit of 4 crore people. But only four members of the KCR family have enslaved our 'Telangana Talli', and it needs to be liberated with an 'Aakhari Poratam'," he said.

Reddy also slammed Prime Minister Narender Modi and union Home Minister Amit Shah for "being mute spectators to the irregularities, corruption, scams and misrule of the KCR government", and claimed that the BJP government at the Centre was an equal partner along with the TRS government in adding miseries to the lives of the common people.

"The costs of petrol and diesel have crossed Rs. 100 per litre. Although the actual price is around Rs. 35 including transportation, the union and the state governments are collecting nearly Rs. 65 towards taxes while burdening the common man," he said giving an example.

The present situation in Telangana and the entire country warranted a joint struggle by all those who believed in democracy and self-rule, Reddy said, and claimed that nearly 20 opposition parties, under the leadership of Congress president Sonia Gandhi, had come together to protest the "anti-people" policies of the BJP government.

"The opposition parties participating in this dharna have all joined hands to defend the people's rights. Our unity is not for the elections or votes. People must understand the circumstances that brought all of us together. As members of Telangana's society, it is our duty to protect the rights of the people," he said.

The TPCC chief also appealed to the people to support the Bharat Bandh on September 27.