- Congress stages massive protest in Kamareddy over alleged insult to Kharge
Kamareddy, September 4: Telangana Government Adviser Mohammed Ali Shabbir demanded the immediate withdrawal of what he termed “illegal cases” registered against Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, while seeking stringent action against those responsible for allegedly insulting Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge.
The Congress staged a massive protest at Kamareddy district headquarters on Friday, alleging that cases were registered against Rahul Gandhi after he questioned an incident of caste discrimination involving Kharge.
Party workers took out a rally from Nizamsagar Chowrasta to the municipal office and later staged a dharna. Jukkal MLA Laxmikanth Rao, former DCCB chairman Pocharam Bhaskar Reddy, DCC president Ale Mallikarjun, Municipal Chairperson Ippa Umarani, and other leaders participated.
Addressing the gathering, Shabbir Ali said there was no place in the country for caste discrimination, untouchability or practices that treated people as inferior. He condemned reports that a venue attended by Kharge was later “purified” with Gangajal, allegedly because he is a Dalit leader. “This is not merely an insult to Kharge. It is an insult to the Constitution and the ideals of Dr B.R. Ambedkar,” he said.
Shabbir Ali said the Congress had consistently fought caste discrimination and would continue to do so. “Caste may determine a person’s birth, but it cannot determine dignity. Every Indian has the right to live with self-respect, and no one can undermine the equality guaranteed by the Constitution,” he said.
Accusing the BJP-led Central government of trying to suppress Rahul Gandhi for raising public issues, Shabbir Ali said questioning the government on behalf of the people was his democratic right. “Rahul Gandhi cannot be intimidated through cases. The cases registered against him must be withdrawn immediately, and attempts to silence voices questioning the government must stop,” he said.
He also urged the Central and State governments to order a comprehensive inquiry into the alleged insult to Kharge and take strict legal action against those responsible.
Turning to State politics, Shabbir Ali demanded that BRS president and former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao resign as Leader of Opposition, alleging that he was not accessible to the people. “KCR ruled for 10 years and is now unavailable even as Leader of Opposition. A leader who does not work for the people has no right to continue in that post,” he said.
He also demanded an apology from KCR to the people of Kamareddy and asked him to explain what he had done for the constituency after contesting from there and what local issues he had raised in the Assembly.
Shabbir Ali alleged that neither KCR nor BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao visited people affected by floods and heavy rains in the district. He also questioned the BRS over its party funds, asking how much assistance had been provided to Kamareddy residents despite the party reportedly having hundreds of crores of rupees in its account.
He challenged the BRS to a public debate comparing its 10 years in power with the Congress government’s first 1,000 days. “We are ready to compare both governments on development, welfare, education, healthcare, farmers, women, youth and the poor,” he said.
He said the Congress government under Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was implementing welfare and development programmes, including support for farmers, free bus travel for women, free electricity, Indiramma houses, smart ration cards and improvements in education and healthcare infrastructure.
“The Congress government believes in action, not words. Our aim is to bring change to people’s lives,” he said.
Jukkal MLA Laxmikanth Rao said insulting Kharge was against democratic values and maintained that attempts to suppress voices raising public issues would not succeed. He asked party workers to take the Congress government’s welfare and development programmes to the people.
Former DCCB chairman Pocharam Bhaskar Reddy alleged that the BRS had failed to fully implement its promises during its decade in power, while the Congress government was reaching out to people and addressing their problems.
Library chairman Chandrakanth Reddy, town Congress president Aireni Sandeep, PCC general secretary Indrakaran Reddy, PACS chairmen Gudem Srinivas Reddy, Anthampalli Sudhakar Reddy, Bheem Reddy, Navasilal Naik and Anantha Reddy, Congress mandal presidents Narender Reddy, Patha Raju, Ankam Krishnarao, Ashaboyina Srinivas and Raja Goud, besides other party leaders, elected representatives and workers, attended the protest. (eom)
