Rahul Gandhi has no right to speak about farmers: Errabelli Dayakar Rao

Warangal: Rahul Gandhi who roams around clubs and pubs has no moral right to talk about the farmers, Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao said. Speaking to media persons in Hanumakonda on Thursday, he said that the Congress-led UPA government turned the country as a care of address for the farmers' suicides.

"As many as 1.58 lakh farmers committed suicide in the country during the 10-year regime of the UPA Government. Of which around 18,000 are from the united Andhra Pradesh," Errabelli said, holding the Congress responsible for its anti-farmer policies. Several farmers died of snake bite and electric shock due to indifferent power supply then, he added.

The Congress which merged Andhra and Telangana six decades ago failed to look after the welfare of people in Telangana. As a result, 369 people in the first phase of separate statehood movement and 1,200 people in the second phase of the agitation sacrificed their lives, Errabelli said. After the formation of Telangana, TRS Government took care of farmers by providing them 24-hour free power supply, and ensuring irrigation facilities, he said, equating the farmers' position with that of Congress regime in united AP. Telangana has become a beacon for other States in the country by implementing Rythu Bandhu, Rythu Bima and crop loan waiver, the minister said.

Earlier, the minister visited the Softpath System Group branch at Chaitanya Deemed to be University in Kishanpura which will be visited by IT, MA&UD Minister KT Rama Rao on May 7. Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar, MLC Banda Prakash and Hanumakonda district collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu were among others present.