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The Hindu
The Hindu
National
The Hindu Bureau

Telangana is the new ATM for Congress Party, charges PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accused the Congress Party of making Telangana its new ATM after coming to power. He had also charged the party with having an alleged secret pact with Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) which the whole world is well aware of.

“You have given an opportunity for Congress Party after suffering years of corruption under the BRS Government. They are both sides of the same coin and have an understanding among themselves to share the looted wealth. The Congress Party is silent and worried of its own people being involved in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS),” he claimed at a public meeting held in Patancheru in Sangareddy district, which is on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The meeting was held after the PM participated in a official function where he had launched several infrastructure projects, on the second day of his tour of Telangana.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi at BJP’s Vijay Sankalp Sabha held in Patancheru, Sangareddy district in Telangana on March 5, 2024. (Source: Mohd Arif)

Mr. Modi kept up his trenchant attack on the “family based parties” and alleged corruption under their respective governments.

Both (Congress and BRS) parties are indulging in “cover fire” to protect each other. But this “game” cannot go on for long because the Modi Government can take up both “surgical strikes” as well as “air strikes”, he said seeking ‘whole-hearted’ support people. “BJP ki vote veyyali (vote for BJP) and we should get 400 seats this time”, he exhorted the gathering.

The Prime Minister who began the speech with “Na Telangana Kutumba Sabyulaku Andharaki Namaskaram” (Greetings to my Telangana family members), claimed that the Congress and its INDIA allies are “abusing” him and his “family” since he had raised his voice against “family parties” and unearthed their “scams” from Jammu & Kashmir to the south. “Aren’t family based parties a threat to democracy, talent and youth denying them opportunities to grow?,” he questioned.

He accused the Congress Party of making “85-year-olds” as party president while preventing those in 40-50s political opportunities as the “family will be overshadowed”. “They are so insecure and say ‘family first’, Modi says nation first. They have sacrificed the interests of the country for the sake of the family. For me, country is the most important,” maintained Mr. Modi.

Continuing his diatribe against the Opposition, he charged that Governments run by family based parties have “hidden their black money” in foreign banks and kept “expensive gifts” for themselves whereas he had put up every gift received for public auction realising ₹140 crore and using the money to clean up River Gang. He said that his regular income in Government was utilised for girls education and took a swipe at the media claiming that they “will not report these kind of issues”.

“I got the bank accounts opened for the poor and built four crore houses without having a home of my own. Whereas the other parties have built palaces for their “families”. The Congress and allies have no idea that crores of people consider me as part of their family. They are speaking in one voice – We are Modi’s family, or ‘Nene Modi family’,” he said.

Listing out the welfare schemes rolled out for the poor and disadvantaged sections in the last 10 years benefiting “crores of people” under his administration, Mr. Modi said “I am a man of guarantee and know how to fulfil them like Article 370 was abrogated and Ram Temple was built in Ayodhya.

His Government had spent ₹1.5 lakh crore for the benefit of farmers under various schemes while 25 lakh farmers get direct benefit transfer of ₹6,000 annually. TS BJP president and Union Minister for Tourism, Culture and Development of Northeast Region G. Kishan Reddy alleged that “Rahul Gandhi tax” is being collected from real estate businessman and companies for raising funds for the Parliament elections in Telangana. Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman, former Minister Eatala Rajender and other top BJP leaders were present.

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