Hyderabad, Oct 27 (IANS) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K.T. Rama Rao on Monday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi betrayed Telangana’s auto drivers by failing to fulfil the promises made during the 2023 Assembly elections.

Rama Rao travelled in an autorickshaw to reach the BRS headquarters, Telangana Bhavan, while another senior party leader and former minister, T. Harish Rao, also travelled in an autorickshaw in the city to understand their problems.

The BRS leaders alleged that ever since Congress came to power, 161 autorickshaw drivers have committed suicide. They demanded compensation of Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the autorickshaw drivers who died by suicide.

K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) reminded that during the 2023 Telangana election campaign, Rahul Gandhi had personally met and travelled with auto drivers, promising to establish an Auto Drivers’ Welfare Board and to provide Rs 12,000 annual financial assistance to every driver. Two years later, none of those promises have been fulfilled.

KTR told media persons that he met Mashrat Ali, the same auto owner who had driven Rahul Gandhi during his campaign visit to Hyderabad two years ago. Once the proud owner of two auto-rickshaws, Mashrat Ali has now been forced to sell both his vehicles due to financial hardship under the Congress rule. Today, he is a daily-wage auto driver, renting an auto for Rs 400 per day just to make ends meet, said the BRS leader.

“Two years ago, Rahul Gandhi rode in Mashrat Ali’s auto and promised a better life for drivers. Today, that same man has lost both his autos and is struggling to survive. He told me, ‘Sir, I was an owner then; today I am a driver. I used to earn Rs 2,500 a day, now I barely make Rs 1,000. Congress betrayed us. They promised a welfare board and Rs 1,000 monthly support, but gave us nothing. They even took away what little we had.’”

KTR said this heartbreaking story reflects the true face of the Congress government, which has failed every section of society. “Rahul Gandhi must wake up from his deep slumber.

He promised to deliver within 100 days — it’s been two years. Auto drivers are losing their livelihoods, and 161 have already taken their own lives due to the Congress government’s neglect,” KTR said.

He added that while Rahul Gandhi continues to make lofty speeches about the poor, his own party’s government in Telangana is pushing working-class citizens into poverty.

“Rahul Gandhi preaches compassion and equality, but his government practises betrayal. When you cannot honour promises to poor auto drivers, you lose the moral right to speak about justice.”

He demanded that Rahul Gandhi take moral responsibility and ensure that his government immediately implements the Auto Drivers’ Welfare Board and Rs 12,000 annual assistance as promised.

–IANS

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