"Albatross Around Neck Of Opposition": KTR's Sharp Attack On Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi:

KT Rama Rao, the second in command of Telangana's opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi, attacked the Congress and its senior leader Rahul Gandhi today, saying he "has become an albatross around the neck of the Opposition". His leadership, Rao said, has weakened the Congress to such an extent that it can no longer function as a national Opposition party, let alone the main opposition party. 

Speaking at the prestigious IGNITION Summit organised by the Shiv Nadar Foundation in Chennai, Rao said the Congress has been unable to present an alternative model of the future to counter the BJP.

This, he said, is because Gandhi lacks vision. He has never given his views on economy, employment generation, innovation, or industrial growth.

Since the Nehru and Indira Gandhi era, the Congress has achieved little of national significance. And now, under Rahul Gandhi, the Congress has become the biggest strength of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

If the current situation continues, only regional parties will be performing the role of offering opposition to the BJP.

The Congress, he said behaves like a fringe party in most northern states including Bihar. It insists on having a chunk of seats to contest but end up losing and handing the advantage to the BJP. 

Recalling the attempts of his father, K Chandrashekar Rao's attempt to build a non-Congress, non-BJP front of regional parties to present a political alternative to the country, he said it was unfortunate that the effort did not bear fruit.

He accused the BJP of betraying the nation by failing to meet its promises. But anyone questioning the government is immediately branded "anti-national" and is harassed. 

The BJP, he said, has aggressively spread divisive politics but the Opposition has failed to effectively expose it, he added.