Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee former chief and Nalgonda MP N. Uttam Kumar Reddy addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: G. N. RAO

Congress MP and former president of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Saturday said the Congress wanted Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer nine key questions now that the BJP government at the Centre has completed nine years in power.

“Nau Saal, Nau Sawaal”, he said, demanding an explanation from the Prime Minister on key issues such as rising prices, unemployment and farmers’ income.

Speaking at a presser at Andhra Ratna Bhavan here, Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Congress was organising press conferences in all main cities across the country on “Nau Saal, Nau Sawaal” and demanding that the BJP government at the Centre mark this day as “Maafi Diwas”.

He said the nine questions, based on the critical issues raised by former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, pertained to inflation and unemployment; agriculture and farmers; absence of social justice; China and national security; social harmony; social justice; democracy and federalism; welfare schemes; and Covid-19 mismanagement.

Referring to the spiking prices of essentials, he said rates of cooking gas; petrol and diesel; mustard oil; milk; and flour increased manifold. The rich became richer and the poor poorer. Public property was being sold to the Prime Minister’s friends, even as economic disparities increased.

Boycott decision

Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the party decided to boycott the inauguration of the new Parliament building by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday as the act was tantamount to constitutional impropriety. “Under the BJP rule, key policies are being bulldozed in Parliament without holding any discussions. The policies and actions of the BJP have frequently been antithetical to Parliamentary democracy,” he said.
The senior Congress leader urged the Prime Minister to break his silence and give an explanation on the nine questions.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee leaders Naraharasetty Narasimha Rao, Lam Thantiya Kumari, Meda Suresh, Kolanukonda Sivaji, Kwaja Mohinuddeen, Borra Kiran Kumar, V. Gurunadham and others were present.