Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad
Hyderabad, Aug 3: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) on Monday threatened to lay siege to Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi's residence in New Delhi if the Congress government in Telangana fails to fulfil its pre-election promises to the youth, including providing two lakh jobs.
Addressing a press conference, the former minister accused Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of failing to honour commitments made under the Congress' Youth Declaration and alleged that the state government had pushed Telangana's youth into despair.
KTR recalled Rahul Gandhi's promise of filling two lakh government jobs within the first year of the Congress coming to power and claimed that fewer than 10,000 jobs had been filled in the last two years.
He alleged that although there are around 20,000 vacancies in the police department, the government has issued recruitment notifications for only 7,000 posts.
Claiming that the Congress had deceived people through its election promises, KTR said even the Job Calendar presented in the State Legislature had failed to translate into action.
He alleged that not a single one of the 24 promises made under the Youth and Student Declarations had been implemented.
Referring to a reported suicide attempt by a student identified as Venu in Khammam over delays in Telangana State Public Service Commission notifications for Group I to Group IV recruitment, KTR said the youth was battling for his life after demanding annual recruitment calendars on the lines of the Union Public Service Commission.
He claimed the student's handwritten note sought answers from Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and described it as an indictment of the Congress government's governance.
Questioning Rahul Gandhi's silence, KTR said the Congress leader visits states ruled by other parties when students are lathi-charged but remains absent when similar incidents occur in Congress-ruled states.
Appealing to unemployed youth not to resort to extreme steps, KTR assured that the BRS would fill vacant government posts if it returned to power.
The BRS leader also criticised Chief Minister Revanth Reddy over his reported remarks describing engineers as "criminal waste" and questioned why Rahul Gandhi had not responded to the comments.
KTR further targeted the Chief Minister's educational credentials, alleging that Revanth Reddy may have cleared examinations through unfair means and questioning whether he had ever appeared for a competitive examination or interview.
Expressing concern over Telangana's investment climate, KTR alleged that the state had slipped from the first to the 13th position in ease of doing business after the Congress assumed office. He attributed the decline to the government's lack of progressive policies and allegations of corruption involving ministers and their associates.
Citing data from NASSCOM and the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI), he also claimed that employment in the technology sector had declined since the Congress came to power in the state.
Commenting on the anti-paper leak Bill passed by Parliament, KTR welcomed the legislation but said its success would depend on effective implementation.
"A bill alone achieves nothing. What matters is implementation and intent. Without proper execution, nothing will happen. We have welcomed the bill as any step in the interest of children is positive. However, the key question is how it will be implemented, who will execute it, and how the Centre will coordinate with the states. Only when these details emerge will its effectiveness be clear," he said.