Telangana became a reality due to Sonia: Uttam

Hyderabad, Dec 9 (INN): Stating that Telangana State would not have been a reality without Sonia Gandhi, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, on behalf of people of Telangana, thanked the Congress president for turning a 60-year-old dream into a reality.

Uttam Kumar Reddy led the grand celebrations of Sonia Gandhi's 70th birthday on Friday which was celebrated as "Krithagnatha Dinotsavam" (Thanksgiving Day) for announcing separate statehood for Telangana.

Celebrations began at the party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan with the cutting of cake by the TPCC President. TPCC Vice-President Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, Leader of Opposition in Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, ex-PCC presidents V. Hanumantha Rao and Ponnala Lakshmaiah, former union ministers S. Jaipal Reddy, Sarve Satyanarayana and Balram Naik, former minsiters Danam Nagender, Marri Sashidhar Reddy, ex-MP M. Anjan Kumar Yadav, TPCC General Secretaries Prem Lal, Lakshman Goud, Niranjan, Azmathullah Hussaini, Vinod Reddy, former GHMC Mayor Banda Karthika Reddy, Youth Congress president Anil Kumar Yadav and other senior leaders also participated in the celebrations. Later, the TPCC chief inaugurated a blood donation camp organised by Youth Congress.

Addressing a meeting later at Prakasam Hall, Uttam Kumar Reddy pointed out that Sonia Gandhi granted statehood for Telangana just to keep her word. She did not bother about the political consequences while granting statehood for Telangana. Instead of giving priority to political gains, Sonia Gandhi fulfilled the aspirations of people of Telangana. He said that the people of Telangana would remain indebted to Sonia Gandhi for the historic decision which was first announced on her birthday in 2009.

Uttam Kumar Reddy also listed out various achievements of previous UPA Government under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi as UPA Chairperson. He said Sonia Gandhi ensured a transparent and accountable government which worked towards the welfare and empowerment of all sections of the society, especially poor. Several laws were enacted which empowered the common man. He said that the credit of Food Security Act, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, Right to Information Act and Right to Education Act among others directly goes to Sonia Gandhi.

Speaking about TRS Government in the State, the TPCC chief said that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has failed to fulfill a single promise which he made with the people during 2014 elections. Accusing KCR of cheating the people, he said that the Chief Minister has been keeping the people confused with his tall-talk and fake claims. Citing instances, he said as against the promise of turning Hyderabad into a global city, the TRS Government has failed to maintain the city as it existed during Congress rule. He described KCR Government as the most corrupt regime and listed out various scams that surfaced in the recent past. He said a multi-crore road scam came to light recently and now several lives were lost in a building collapse incident in Nanakramguda. He demanded that Municipal Administration Minister K. Tarakarama Rao resign from his post owing moral responsibility for the incident.

Sonia Gandhi's birthday celebrations were also organised at a grand scale in all the districts of Telangana where party workers conducted blood donation and health-check up camps and also distributed food, fruits and clothes among the poor.