Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) Treasurer Gudur Narayana Reddy alleged that Prime Minister Narender Modi was trying to confine Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to just one community.
Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, Gudur Narayana Reddy said that Sardar Patel was a national leader. He was country’s first Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister.
He said the role played by Sardar Patel in merger of Hyderabad State into Indian Union could be never forgotten. However, he said instead of highlighting Sardar Patel as a national leader, PM Modi was trying to confine his image to that of a leader representing one particular community.
Gudur Narayana Reddy said that the Central Government has released advertisements for newspapers on the unveiling of statue of Sardar Patel.
However, he said the BJP Government has completely neglected Indira Gandhi, India’s first woman Prime Minister, who laid down her life for the country.
He said India had won a war for the first time in centuries under Indira Gandhi’s leadership. But BJP is trying to downplay her contribution for the country, he alleged.
The Congress leader said while Indira Gandhi gave the slogan for ‘Gharibi Hatao’, PM Modi fooled the entire nation on the promise of creation two crore jobs a year and did not give even 5 lakh jobs.
Gudur Narayana Reddy said efforts were being made to project Sardar Patel as a BJP leader while trying to erase memories of Indira Gandhi from people’s heart.
He also informed that the Congress party’s Screening Committee has interviewed all the ticket aspirants and took their views.
He said an important meeting of Congress Central Election Committee comprising of AICC President Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, Mukul Wasnik, A.K. Anthony, Ahmed Patel, R.C. Khuntia, Uttam Kumar Reddy, Jana Reddy and others would be held on Thursday to finalise the candidates.
Gudur Narayana Reddy said that the candidates would be announced in two phases. Since Thursday is an Ashtami day, the first list could be announced on Friday and the second list might be declared on 6th or 7th November. (INN)