Rahul congratulates TPCC for taking up yatra across Telangana

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has congratulated the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) for taking up a "bus yatra" across the state since February to reach out to the people.

"Congratulations to you and the entire Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee for launching the Jana Chaitanya Bus Yatra in February. I am very proud to hear that it has been a tremendous success," he said in a letter to RC Khuntia, the in-charge of Congress' affairs in Telangana.

The Congress has stood as a strong opposition in Telangana during the last four years, Gandhi said in his letter, which was released to the media here by the TPCC.

"Because of the hard work of every Congress worker, the people of Telangana are seeing through the lies of the TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) and remembering the values of the Congress.

"I have no doubt that your ongoing efforts will win back the confidence of the people in 2019," he said, wishing the state Congress "the very best".

The Congress, which is the main opposition in Telangana, had launched the bus yatra from Chevella, near here, in the last week of February.

The yatra will cover all the 119 Assembly constituencies in Telangana.

Meanwhile, former Union minister and senior Congress leader S Jaipal Reddy alleged that the NDA government did not allow the no-confidence motion against it to come up for debate in Parliament as it feared that its "political weakness" would come out in the open.

"All other businesses should stop once that motion (no-confidence) is tabled, either in the Assembly or Parliament. But, he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) did not allow the no-confidence motion to come up for debate, though his party has the majority, because his allies are moving away and his hollowness and political weakness would be exposed," he told reporters.

The ruling side would have won had the no-confidence motion been taken up, but it did not allow a debate on it as it feared that its shortcomings would be exposed, Reddy said.

He alleged that the AIADMK and the TRS "indirectly cooperated" with the BJP to avoid the no-confidence motion being taken up.

Reddy also alleged that there was a "secret agreement" between the TRS and the BJP.