Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], October 25 (ANI): BJP MP Raghunandan Rao on Sunday criticised the INDIA bloc over its proposed demonstration at Ramlila Maidan, questioning its agenda and urging Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to address concerns related to electricity supply, pensions and employment in the state.
Taking aim at Rahul Gandhi’s approach to the proposed protest, Rao questioned the Opposition’s agenda and said the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha should understand his responsibilities.
Speaking to ANI, he said, “INDIA bloc has no role or no plan at all on what to do, what not to do in India. They are just comparing themselves with the youth of Gen Z, and they want to come onto the road and demonstrate. He should be distinguished from Gen Z, and he should think that he is a Leader of the Opposition of this country. What is the role a Leader of the Opposition should play, that first Rahul Gandhi should understand, and his advisors should advise him in a proper way.”
Questioning the purpose of the proposed gathering at Ramlila Maidan, the BJP MP challenged Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy to identify people in their respective areas who had allegedly lost their votes during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
He asserted, “What is the INDIA bloc going to do in Ramlila Maidan? I am going to ask a straight question to Rahul Gandhi and Revanth Reddy also. Many times I asked; you answer in at least Kondareddypalli. You tell your Kondareddypalli people how many of them lost their votes in SIR. You take all those people, those who lost votes in Kondareddypalli or Madhira constituencies.”
Rao further argued that people in Telangana were raising issues related to electricity supply, pension payments and employment rather than concerns over the deletion of votes, and urged the state government to respond to these demands.
“In Telangana, no one is asking that we lost our vote. In Telangana, what the people are asking is: we need electricity for 24 hours; we need 4,000 rupees of the pension; we need—unemployed youth are asking that we need employment,” he said.
The BJP MP also targeted Revanth Reddy, urging the Chief Minister to address these issues before participating in political demonstrations and alleging that his approach lacked a clear plan.
“First, Revanth, you answer these questions. Without answering these questions, jaise how your leader is behaving, in the same way you are also behaving without any idea or plan. This is not good for the state of Telangana and for the country also,” he added.
Meanwhile, the INDIA bloc has announced a series of activities opposing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the exercise.
The Mega Rally against CEC Gyanesh Kumar, scheduled for November 1 at Ramlila Maidan, was announced by Congress leader KC Venugopal on October 5.
Ahead of the November 1 ‘Dilli Chalo’ march, the INDIA bloc is also scheduled to conduct a symbolic “Public Impeachment” proceeding against the CEC on October 30. The event is expected to conclude with a public verdict calling for his removal.
The proposed demonstrations are part of the Opposition bloc’s wider agitation against the SIR exercise and its allegations of irregularities in the revision of electoral rolls. (ANI)
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