Vote for Cong for true women empowerment, says Rahul

Calling governments at the Centre and in Telangana as “anti women”, Congress president Rahul Gandhi asked the state's women to bring back the party to power for the true empowerment of women.

He was addressing representatives of women's self help groups (SHG) in Telangana at the Classic Convention centre in Rajendranagar, Hyderabad, on Monday.

He arrived from Karnataka for a two-day visit to the state.

He said Congress believes that the country can’t move forward if women are left on the back seat.

“Congress believes that women must progress socially, politically and economically. The BJP and the TRS believe that place of women is in the kitchen. But we believe otherwise. SHGs are encouraged during Congress government to free women from shackles. After we come to power we will not only waive interests on SHG loans but will pay all the accumulated incentives,” Rahul said.

He further said that atrocities on women have doubled after the Narendra Modi led BJP government came to power.

“Why Narendra Modi never speaks out when atrocities were going on women all over the country. A BJP MLA rapes a women in Uttar Pradesh, innocent young women are raped in Bihar on day to day basis,” Rahul said.

" Poor were robbed of their savings under the guise of demonetization to help banks to fill up their Non-performing assets even as Modi’s cronies have converted their black money from the back door of the banks,” Rahul said.

Rahul said that the Congress will bring back a pro-poor government that will work for the women and the weaker sections.

Women SHG members from different parts of the state complained that the present day governments have diluted the benefits meant for women groups all the while granting loans to the rich.

Rahul assured them that the Congress government will revive “Abhaya Hastam” pension scheme in Telangana for the women SHGs.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief Utham Kumar Reddy said that there is not a single women in the cabinet of K Chandrasekhar Rao’s government.

“The only woman in the legislative Council is a member of the Congress. After we come to power we will grant Rs 1 lakh for every SHG group in the state and will also top it up with a Rs 10-lakh soft loan from banks,” he said.

Telangana has over 6-lakh SHGs with a total membership of over 70 lakh.