The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Caste census if Cong is voted to power: Rahul in Telangana
QUESTIONING PRIME Minister Narendra Modi why the results ofcastecensusconductedbythe Uparegimewerenotmadepublic, Congress leader Rahul Gandhionthursdaysaidtheexercise will be taken up in the country once the Congress comes to power.
Theaiccleaderraisedtheissuewhileaddressingseveralrallies in poll-bound Telangana.
Exuding confidence that his party will come to power in the state after November 30 Assemblypolls, hesaid,“congress waveiscomingintelanganalike atsunami.” Healsoattackedthek Chandrasekhar Rao-led government over alleged corruption, particularlyinirrigationprojects, and targeted the BJP and BRS alleging that both the parties have tacitunderstanding, achargedeniedbybrsworkingpresidentk Tramarao.
Telangana BJP president G Kishan Reddy also hit back at Rahul Gandhi's allegations on the saffron party's “association” withbrs, sayingitwascongress party that entered into an alliance with KCR’S party in 2004 and both shared power at the state and in Centre.
Addressing corner meetings andpublicralliesinbhupalpally,
Peddapalli and Karimnagar districts, Rahul said: “BRS has to be defeated here in Telangana and thebjpindelhi. Acongresswave is coming in Telangana like a tsunami. First it will come in Telangana and next in Delhi.”
He said the biggest issue in the country is with regard to castecensusandtermeditan‘xray’ that will throw light on the condition of Dalits, tribals and OBCS. He added that the caste census will also determine how the country's funds are being distributed.
Urging people to question Modiandchandrasekharraoas to when they will conduct the caste census, he said if the Congress is voted to power in Telanganathenthefirstthinghis
PTI party's government will do is to take up ‘X-ray’ in the state. He noted that Congress-ruled states-chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Karnataka- have been told to conduct caste census.
During the campaign, Rahul Gandhi also interacted with the workersandemployeesofstateowned mining firm Singareni Collieries. He assured that the minesofsingarenicollierieswill notbeprivatisedandallegedthat there was an attempt to sell it to Adani, but “we got it stopped”.
Referring to Congress' five 'pollguarantees'implementedin Karnataka, Rahul said the party would similarly implement all six guarantees announced in Telangana, assoonasitformsthe government in the state.