Taking their fight to the next level, the ruling TRS and the BJP leadership were engaged in a slugfest over the absence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao during the tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the City on Saturday afternoon.
Neither did Mr. Rao receive the Prime Minister at the Shamshabad Airport nor was seen at the Golden jubilee celebrations of ICRISAT and the unveiling of 216 foot statue of equality of Saint Sri Ramanujacharya at Muchintal. As Mr. Rao was not present at the airport to receive the Prime Minister as per protocol, the BJP leadership went into an overdrive by targeting the Chief Minister for insulting a visiting dignitary.
Official sources said Mr. Rao was suffering from a mild fever and he nominated Mr. Srinivas Yadav to receive the Prime Minister. An official statement from the CMO on February 4 said that Mr. Srinivas Yadav was nominated as the Minister-in-waiting to receive and see off the Prime Minister on his arrival and departure.
The slanging match escalated into a full fledged Twitter war with both parties putting out tweets critical of each other.
The official twitter handle of the BJP @BJP4Telangana and carrying hashtag #ShameOnYouKCR said: “KCR has been regularly Insulting Constitution. Now violating protocol stoops is such idiotic and shameful act of KCR. #ShameOnYouKCR.
TRS leaders hit back at the BJP State leadership for raking up the issue of the Chief Minister not receiving the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his tour of Hyderabad.
‘Private visit’
In a series of tweets in response to the State BJP leaders taking to tweets, the TRS party’s official Twitter handle said: “There is no necessity for the CM to receive PM in a private visit! It’s totally as per the Protocol issued by Govt of India validated by Ministry of Home Affairs. @BJP4Telangana should stop these cheap & misleading tactics.”
TRS leaders created #EqualityforTelangana to remind the Prime Minister of the promise to develop the new State. TRS leader and Chairman of Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation Krishank through his official twitter handle @krishanKTRS said: “Welcome Hon’ble Prime Minister ji, With due respect, we appeal to you to treat Telangana State equally like Gujarat . It’s 8 Years, 8 Budgets and still our Telangana is deprived of Justice from Union Government of India.”
Simultaneously, a group of TRS supporters displayed a huge banner on Tank Bund. Where is #EqualityforTelangana banner questioned about Centre not releasing funds.
