Sangareddy MLA T Jayaprakash Reddy said the construction of Ram Mandir was important for the people, but it was equally important for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to fulfil its poll promise of depositing ₹ 15 lakh in every account.
The majority of the ₹ 15 lakh beneficiaries would be from the socially disadvantaged sections like the SCs, STs and BCs apart from the poor from the upper castes, he said. “But the BJP’s silence on this is deafening while it makes a lot of noise on the Ram Mandir issue,” he said.
Mr. Reddy, in an informal chat with the media here on Sunday, accused the BJP of suppressing the socially disadvantaged sections with its Hindutva slogan. Every time the BJP’s accountability in governance is raised it hides under the Hindutva slogan. “People want Ram Mandir but at the same time also want good governance, peace and fulfilment of poll promises.”
The TPCC working president demanded that the BJP State president Bandi Sanjay speak up on the real issues of people rather than increasing communal tensions through his rabble-rousing speeches. Mr Sanjay or Mr. Amit Shah have plenty of time to visit temples but not the families from the downtrodden sections, he alleged.
Mr. Reddy said Congress always stood for the unity of the people and the nation, and never believed in divisive politics for reaping political benefits. “Whether we are in power or in opposition, we always strive to follow the basic tenets of the Constitution, which professes equality to all irrespective of their caste or creed. Unfortunately, it is not seen in BJP’s governance,” he argued.
The Congress MLA also accused Mr. Bandi Sanjay of ignoring the real issues of the people. When Congress takes up the farmers problems the BJP diverts the attention.
“Mr. Sanjay doesn’t have any interest in farmers issues and he rakes up other issues when the Congress party fights on behalf of the farmers. His sincerity is in question now.”
Stating that Congress stood for secularism, which is also the essence of Hinduism, Mr. Reddy said the country’s progress across all the sectors over the last seven decades was due to its strength in keeping the people together. BJP has nothing to show as their contribution to the country except raking up the Hindutva narrative and playing on people’s emotions.
