Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he is “pained by the non-cooperation” of the K Chandrasekhar Rao government with the centre's initiatives for Telangana, which he said has been impeding development programmes in the state.
Modi made the remarks in a public meeting in Secunderabad on Saturday, which was skipped by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. This is the fifth time in a row the CM has kept away from participating in PM-attended events in the state, since February 2022.
“Because of this hindrance, Telangana is suffering, you are suffering,” Modi told the people while appealing to the BRS government “not to obstruct development.”
Modi was in Telangana to initiate projects worth over Rs 11,300 crore in railways, roads and the health sector. The PM also flagged off the Vande Bharat Express from Secunderabad to Tirupati, which he said “connects the Bhagyalakshmi mandir city with Bhagwan Venkateshwara's abode.”
While the BRS leaders constantly accuse the BJP-led central government of “discriminating against progressive Telangana in the allocation of funds and projects," the now routine absence of CM KCR from PM Modi events in the state offers the opposition party ammo to attack the ruling party in the election year.
'Kept a chair, brought a shawl for the CM'
Speaking to reporters at the Secunderabad Parade grounds after the PM's meeting, TBJP chief Bandi Sanjay said he had personally requested KCR to attend Modi’s programmes.
“We have allocated an exclusive chair for the chief minister and I also brought a shawl to felicitate him,” the Karimnagar MP said.
Stating that KCR had once again proved that he became a hurdle in the state's development, Bandi demanded the CM to “tender an unconditional apology to Telangana people.”
In his speech, the PM listed the central support to Telangana's infrastructure projects while adding that one of the seven mega textile parks to be set up across the country would come up in the state.
“The Prime Minister clearly said he would speak politics at the time of elections and would focus only on development at other times. Setting politics aside, the PM sanctioned projects worth thousands of crores and yet, KCR chose to skip the event,” Bandi said.