On the day when the BJP’s high-profile National Executive meeting begins, the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has organised a massive rally to welcome Yashwant Sinha, the Opposition’s candidate for the Presidential polls.
As Sinha kicks off the campaign for the upcoming polls in Hyderabad on Saturday, TRS President K Chandrashekar Rao lambasted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, posed a volley of questions and challenged him to give answers.
Addressing a gathering of TRS’ MPs and MLAs, Chandrashekar Rao has asked the MPs and MLAs in different parts of the country to vote following their conscience (atma prabhodh) and elect Sinha the President.
He said that everything in the country was going wrong. “What is happening in the country is not good. We should not keep quite,” he said.
Stating that Narendra Modi made tall promises, he said not a single promise was fulfilled. “He promised to double the farmers’ income but the cost of production doubled as prices of petrol and diesel went up.
‘BJP destabilising governments’
Farmers, unemployed and employees were facing problems. Prices of essential commodities were going up. The Opposition parties were being harassed and targetted. “The BJP is conspiring to destabilise the State Governments. It toppled nine State governments,” he said.
Alleging that Modi had become a salesman for a few businessmen, he said the revelations of a top Sri Lankan power official proved this.
“Why India should import coal when we have abundant reserves. Why is the Modi government forcing the States to buy 10 per cent imported coal at a higher price,” he said.
“The country’s ranking has fallen in all the global indices. In Human Development Index, unemployment, press freedom and hunger index, our rank has fallen after Modi assumed power. The value of rupee has touched the lowest point,” he said.
The TRS President alleged that the democracy and federal spirit were being demolished. China lagged behind India a few decades ago but it turned around its economy and became a $16 trillion economy, while India languished with $3.1 trillion. “When will India achieve the target of $5 trillion,” he asked.
The NPAs have crossed the ₹18 lakh crore mark as against ₹4-5 crore during the previous government.
Speaking at the occasion, Yashwant Sinha said this was the beginning of a fight to protect democracy and the future of the country.