Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday described Bharat Rashtra Samithi as the “B team” of the Bharatiya Janata Party while campaigning for his party in the poll-bound state, reported the Hindustan Times.
“BRS is like BJP Rishtedar Samiti,” Gandhi said at a public meeting in Khammam district. “KCR [Rao] thinks he is a king and Telangana is his kingdom.”
Noting that Bharat Rashtra Samithi president and Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha had been questioned by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor policy case, Gandhi said that the party has become subservient to the BJP, reported The Indian Express.
“KCR [Rao] is seeking protection from Narendra Modi’s government as KCR’s daughter is involved in the Delhi liquor case,” he alleged. “Modi is now pressuring the KCR government to support BJP. The remote control of KCR is in Modi’s hands now.”
The Enforcement Directorate has alleged that Kavitha was part of the “South Group” that paid at least Rs 100 crore in kickbacks to leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party through arrested businessman Vijay Nair in connection with the liquor policy case.
The policy was withdrawn on July 30 after Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena recommended an inquiry into how it had been formulated and implemented.
On Sunday, Gandhi said that the Congress recently fought the election in Karnataka against “a corrupt and anti-poor government” and defeated it “with the support of the poor, OBCs, minorities and oppressed in the state”, reported the Hindustan Times.
“Something similar is going to happen in Telangana,” he added. “On one side there would be rich and powerful of the state and one the other side, there would be poor, tribals, minorities, farmers and small shopkeepers with us. What has happened in Karnataka, would be repeated in Telangana.”
The former Congress chief also said that the BJP in Telangana was finished after its loss in the Karnataka elections. “The fight is now between Congress and BRS in Telangana,” he said. “The people of Telangana and Congress cadre will defeat the corrupt BRS like it was done in Karnataka.”
The Telangana Assembly elections will be held later this year.
Meanwhile, the Congress in Telangana on Sunday alleged that the police and the government machinery had tried to stop people from attending Gandhi’s public meeting in Khammam, reported PTI.
Congress MLA D Sridhar Babu alleged that in an attempt to make the rally a failure, local Bharat Rashtra Samithi leadership was acting in an undemocratic manner. Khammam Police Commissioner Vishnu S Warrier, however, denied the charges. Except traffic diversion in the district, no check posts had been set up any where, he said in a press statement.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!