Seethakka tries to counter KTR’s autorickshaw ride with Congress version

A day after BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao highlighted auto drivers’ woes, Minister D. Anasuya (Seethakka) took an autorickshaw ride in Jubilee Hills to defend the Congress government, claiming its welfare schemes benefited both drivers and women passengers.

Hyderabad: A day after BRS working president KT Rama Rao travelled in an autorickshaw and criticised the Congress government over the plight of auto drivers, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister D Anasuya (Seethakka) sought to counter the charge by travelling in an autorickshaw herself and interacting with the driver.

The Minister, accompanied by Women Corporation chairperson Bandru Shobha Rani, appealed to the driver to support the Congress in the Jubilee Hills by-election.

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Interestingly, while auto drivers had aired their grievances to the BRS leaders, the Congress version played out differently, with the Minister doing most of the talking and listing what she claimed were the government’s welfare initiatives.

Speaking to the driver, Seethakka said the Congress government’s free bus travel scheme for women had not affected the earnings of auto drivers. She alleged that it was false propaganda spread by opposition parties.

“RTC buses are not operated in lanes and bylanes. To cover short distances, people rely on autorickshaws,” Seethakka said.

She further alleged that during the last 10 years, not a single new auto permit was issued in Hyderabad, and claimed that auto drivers were happy as their sisters and mothers could now travel for free in RTC buses.