Telangana Congress continued its tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao accusing them of neglecting Telangana issues while trying to project their political agendas.
Former PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah said the entire episode reflects that PM Modi was more interested to promote BJP in Telangana while KCR was interested in pursuing his political ambitions. Unfortunately, both of them did not show any wisdom to address the issues concerning the state but stuck to their political goals, he said at a press conference here.
Mr. Lakshmaiah said that when the PM has come to the state, it was the responsibility of the CM to welcome him and utilise the opportunity to get solutions to the long-pending issues. Instead, KCR ran away to Bengaluru, he alleged.
Moreover, the PM sticking to just political statements in the Hyderabad meeting also showed that he has no interest in speaking about the issues related to the state. The CM too conveniently escaped to Bengaluru so that the real issues were buried under the carpet and the narrative was set on CM not attending PM’s visit.
Mr. Lakshmaiah said the PM’s utterances on corruption in Telangana lacked sincerity and wondered who stopped the PM from seeking an inquiry by the Central agencies against KCR’s corruption that was known to everyone. There is no point in delivering a few statements for public consumption, he said adding that this attitude clearly indicates the connivance of PM and CM.
He also alleged that KCR was using the ill-gotten money to further his political ambitions touring the country as he has nothing to offer to the people of Telangana, who felt deceived.
Former Minister, Mohammed Ali Shabbir said that the Chief Minister did not utilise the opportunity to submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister on the needs of Telangana while PM Modi gave a wrong message that BJP's growth was more important to him than the State's welfare.
He said that the Prime Minister should have conducted a review meeting with the top officials to get first-hand information on Telangana's affairs and the CM should have organised this meeting to present the pending issues with the Centre. “There was no political will either from Modi or KCR.”
He said KCR had lost a big opportunity to directly question Modi on the non-procurement of paddy and also raking up issues like non-sanction of IIM, IIT and other Central institutions for Telangana since the PM was visiting the ISB.