The Congress on Thursday lashed out at the leaders of the Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers (TNGO) and NGOs for meeting Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, at a time when nearly 50,000 Road Transport Workers (RTC) were on strike.
Addressing a press conference at Huzurnagar on Friday, All India Congress Committee (AICC) Spokesperson Dr Dasoju Sravan asked for an explanation on the urgency in meeting the Chief Minister. He said that the state government did not implement the recommendations of the Pay Revision Commission nor provided any facilities to the employees. The promise of extending the retirement age to 61 years also remained unfulfilled.
"In such a situation, their meeting with the CM only shows that either they were sold out or accepted slavery of KCR," Sravan said, accusing the Chief Minister of attempting to divide the employees' unions.
The AICC Spokesperson urged the Communist Party of India (CPI) to withdraw its support to the TRS in the forthcoming Huzurnagar bye-elections.
"It is surprising that the CPI, which has a history of backing agitations for workers' rights, is supporting the TRS Government which illegally sacked nearly 50,000 RTC employees," Sravan said.
The CPI had backed the Congress party during the Assembly elections held in December 2018.
Sravan alleged that the TRS government was trying to privatise RTC so as to acquire its assets of nearly Rs. 75,000 crore. He said that the corporation owns landed properties at prime locations across Telangana where bus depots and stations are located. He alleged that KCR wants to take over those properties to give it to his family members, friends and party leaders.
"Since the TRS government can't seek votes on the basis of performance, the ruling party is distributing cash and liquor among voters to lure them. TRS leaders are misusing police and other departments to influence voters and harass Congress party workers," Sravan claimed.
The Huzurnagar bye-poll has been necessitated after the resignation of Telangana Congress Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy as he was elected to the Lok Sabha from Nalgonda earlier this year.
The election has turned into a high-stakes battle as the Congress has fielded Padmavathi Reddy, Uttam Kumar's wife. Meanwhile, TRS candidate Saidi Reddy, who had lost to Uttam in the Assembly elections, was given a ticket again by his party.
Read:
After backlash, CPI to reconsider its alliance with TRS for Huzurnagar bye-polls
Meet 'Teenmaar Mallanna,' the journalist taking on TRS and Cong in Huzurnagar bye-poll