Priyanka Gandhi unveils Congress party’s Hyderabad Youth Declaration, claims BRS neglected Telangana

HYDERABAD: Recognising the sacrifices of martyrs during the Telangana agitation, Congress National General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Monday announced the Hyderabad Youth Declaration during a public meeting held at Saroornagar.

"The young men and women, who laid down their lives in the first and third phases of the agitation for a separate Telangana state, will be recognised as martyrs and will be presented with government identity cards on June 2," Priyanka Gandhi said during the public meeting that followed a massive rally. Incidentally, this is the first visit of the Congress national general secretary to Telangana.

Priyanka said that she and her family very well acknowledged the greater significance of the sacrifices of the Telangana movement martyrs given the history of sacrifices made by her own family members for the nation.

"Carving Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh was a difficult decision for my mother Sonia Gandhi since she had to rise above power and politics and take the call for the development of Telangana," she said. "She (Sonia Gandhi) chose to create Telangana because she recognised the importance of your long struggle for statehood," she added.

Priyanka alleged that the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government failed to develop Telangana. "Even though my mother granted a separate state for the betterment of Telangana, it's sad to see that nothing of the sort happened here. It is because the ruling BRS leadership treats Telangana as its estate and considers itself as the owner," she said. "Despite your best efforts, your wish for ‘neellu (water), nidhulu (funds) and niyamakalu (jobs)’ was not granted," she added.

"The KCR government made several promises including loan waiver to farmers, employment generation and neellu (water), nidhulu (funds) and niyamakalu (jobs) but unfortunately we don't see these promises fulfilled," the Congress national leader claimed.

The Congress national general secretary also accused the BRS government of failing to arrest the spate of suicides by debt-ridden farmers of the state. "Between 2014 and 2023, 8,000 debt-ridden farmers died by suicide in Telangana. There are over 40 lakh unemployed youth. Instead of creating jobs for the unemployed, the ruling party was only interested in accommodating its near and dear in high positions. They also promised a monthly allowance of Rs 3,000 for the unemployed in 2018 but none of the youths has received it until now," she alleged.

Priyanka Gandhi further said, "As many as two lakh posts are lying vacant in Telangana. TSPSC was rocked by question paper leaks but no decisive action has been taken till date. The question paper leakage scandal has affected the prospects of all the genuine candidates who worked hard and prepared for these recruitment examinations. Their efforts went down the drain," she lamented.

Known for her striking resemblance to her grandmother, Priyanka Gandhi also touched upon this issue while describing it as a huge responsibility. "When you compare me to my grandmother Indira Gandhi and call me 'naya Indramma,' I feel it with a huge sense of responsibility since she was an incredible leader who gave a lot for the country. She even sacrificed her life for it. I urge you all to be cautious and to make wise decisions for the sake of your future and the future of your children," she added.

Priyanka Gandhi said that the Congress party would strive hard to rid Telangana of unemployment and asserted that the crisis of unemployment would be resolved on highest priority if the party was elected to power in the state.

Giving an outline of the Congress party’s Hyderabad Youth Declaration that was announced during the meeting by TPCC chief Revanth Reddy, Priyanka said, "the Congress will establish centralised online registration portals, employment exchanges in seven zones and skill development centres in every district. Besides the establishment of a world-class sports university with facilities comparable to IMG Academy of the United States, the Congress party, when in power, will ensure fee refund for all SC, ST, BC, Minority, and EWS category students, full payment of pending arrears and support for rural athletes.”

In further reference to the party’s Hyderabad Youth Declaration, she announced: "If voted to power, the Congress party will provide a government job to one person from every family of the Telangana martyrs besides giving a monthly honorary pension of Rs 25,000 to either the mother, father or spouse of the martyrs. In addition to withdrawing the cases against youngsters who participated in the Telangana agitation, we will offer them jobs and allowance for the jobless."

Priyanka Gandhi went on to say: "We will immediately fill two lakh vacancies once voted to power. A job calendar including vacancies in all the departments will be released by June 2 with the aim to complete the recruitments by September 17. Unemployed youths will be paid Rs 4,000 per month till they find jobs and the allowance will not be the one you were promised (by the BRS government) but never received. We will also revamp TSPSC with a special act similar to that of the UPSC."

"We promise to create 75 percent reservation for Telangana youth in private companies that have received government subsidies. A youth commission will be established to improve opportunities for education and employment and a Rs 10 lakh interest-free loan facility will also be provided to the youths," she added.

The Congress leader said, "We will provide quality education from sixth standard onwards and until graduation. To empower young women, we will provide electric scooters to every female student above the age of 18."

She said that Palamuru, Telangana and Mahatma Gandhi Satavahana Universities would be converted into integrated universities while adding that new integrated universities would be established in Adilabad, Khammam and Medak. To provide superior education to rural students, four additional IIITs would be established on the lines of the Rajiv Gandhi IIIT in Basar," she added.

"Two Vidyalayas (educational institutions) will be established in Warangal and Hyderabad for the children of the police and RTC employees. We will solve the issues faced by gulf immigrants through the establishment of a special Gulf department, improve employment opportunities in Gulf countries and provide appropriate measures for the welfare of Gulf workers," said the Congress General Secretary.