KCR’s absence during PM Modi’s Hyderabad visit draws flak, irks BJP

KCR was not present at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, to receive the Prime Minister who landed at 2.15 pm.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was conspicuous by his absence during the tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Hyderabad on Saturday, triggering criticism from the opposition parties in the state.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was conspicuous by his absence during the tour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Hyderabad on Saturday. (PTI PHOTO.)

The Prime Minister was in the state capital to inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) campus in Patancheru in the afternoon and unveiling of the ‘Statue of Equality,’ the 216-ft statue of 11th century Vaishnavaite saint Sri Ramanujacharya at Sriramanagaram, the ashram of Chinna Jeeyar Swamy at Muchintal on the city outskirts later in the evening.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly called, was not present at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, to receive the Prime Minister who landed at 2.15 pm. Instead, he deputed state minister for animal husbandry, fisheries, dairy development and cinematography Talasani Srinivas Yadav, who was nominated as the minister-in waiting, to receive and see off the Prime Minister on his arrival and departure.

Though it was expected that the chief minister might attend the functions at ICRISAT and Jeeyar Ashram, he did not turn up at both the events.

There was no official communication from the chief minister’s office (CMO) on the absence of KCR during the Prime Minister’s programmes, but an official in Pragati Bhavan, the CM’s camp office, said the chief minister was indisposed and hence, was not in a position to attend Modi’s programmes.

However, the fact that the chief minister designated his cabinet colleague Srinivasa Yadav to receive and see off the Prime Minister was an indication that he wouldn’t be attending the PM’s programme.

The Bharatiya Janata Party said KCR had deliberately resorted to breach of protocol by staying away from the Prime Minister’s visit citing lame excuses. “It is very evident that the chief minister does not want to show his face to the Prime Minister, after hurling choicest abuses at the latter at his recent press conference,” Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay told reporters.

He said KCR had scant regard for democratic norms and Indian culture. “He has insulted Dr B R Ambedkar by calling for redrafting of the Indian Constitution. Now, he has insulted the Prime Minister of the country by violating the protocol. What more evidence is required to prove his discourteous character?” he asked.

Sanjay alleged that KCR had insulted the Prime Minister and it was nothing but insulting the entire nation. In its official Twitter handle, Telangana BJP said while KCR regularly insults the ‘Constitution’, now he is violating protocols which are “idiotic and shameful”.

BJP lawmaker from Hyderabad Raja Singh said, “A few days ago, KCR used some wrong words about PM Modi. At that time, I urged KCR through media that when PM Modi comes to Telangana, tell these words face to face. And today, PM Modi came to Telangana but CM fell ill. So you can understand what happened.”

All India Congress Committee official spokesman Dasoju Sravan said it was discourteous on the part of the Telangana chief minister of not following the protocol in receiving the Prime Minister and accompanying him at the programmes held in Hyderabad.

“KCR wants to display his utter animosity towards the BJP and Modi by skipping the programmes. But being the chief minister of the state, he should have followed the protocol, when the Prime Minister visits the state. His absence is very disgraceful,” Sravan said.

While BJP launched an attack on Twitter with hashtag #ShameOnYouKCR for the chief minister’s absence at the PM’s programmes, the ruling TRS chose to maintain silence on the issue, but questioned why Modi was not displaying “equality for Telangana,” while inaugurating the Statue of Equality.

In a statement, the TRS said the hashtag ‘#EqualityForTelangana’ was trending on Twitter during the five-hour visit of the Prime Minister. It questioned why Telangana was ignored when it came to allocations of funds or national status to its projects.

State tourism minister V Srinivas Goud questioned: “When the Union Govt could allocate national status to Karnataka’s Upper Bhadra project, why couldn’t they allocate national status to the Palamuru Rangareddy project?”

Similarly, state minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao asked, “Sir, what does the Union Govt do with all the letters and representations given by Telangana Ministers? Very curious to know. There is no reply to our requests, at least answer this sir. #EqualityForTelangana”

Chevella MP G Ranjit Reddy said whatever Telangana achieved until today was all because of the visionary leadership of CM KCR. “Why so unwilling to support a progressive state like Telangana? I demand #EqualityForTelangana,” his tweet said.