Roads & Buildings Minister Tummala Nageshwara Rao on Saturday claimed that the families of farmers whom AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi visited during “Kisan Sandesh Yatra” in Nirmal on Friday had committed suicide during Congress regime.
Addressing a press conference at Telangana Bhavan here, the minister said the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee leaders misled Rahul Gandhi and took him to the families of farmers who committed suicide during the Congress rule in the then united Andhra Pradesh. Describing Rahul Gandhi as “innocent”, he said that the new leadership of State Congress was responsible for the goof-up. All those farmers had committed suicide due to the wrong policies of Congress government.
Tummala advised Rahul Gandhi to conduct padayatra in Congress-ruled States where hundreds of farmers have been committed suicide. He said Rahul Gandhi’s padayatra in Telangana was aimed at rejuvenating the party cadre. He tried to console the local leadership by visiting the State, he said.
The minister said that Rahul Gandhi has no moral right to criticise Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao who apprised himself of the problems being faced by all sections of the society during the statehood movement. He said although the previous UPA regime had waived off the crop loans of nearly Rs 70,000 crore, it included only Rs 3500 crore of loans taken by farmers of united AP. Whereas, the TRS regime had waived off the crop loans of Rs 17,000 crore taken by Telangana farmers. The first installment of Rs 4,250 crore has already been cleared to the banks, he said. (INN)