Modi creating rift between Telugu CMs, says Chandrababu Naidu

Hyderabad: TD president and AP Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had tried to create a rift between him and TS Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao. He was referring to Mr Modi’s statement in the Lok Sabha on the Telugu Desam’s no-confidence motion in July. Mr Naidu said that Mr Modi had commented that Mr Chandrasekhar Rao had displayed maturity while he (Mr Naidu) had not. Mr Naidu said Mr Modi had made the comment to create difference between the Chief Ministers of the two Telugu states. The TD president was speaking at an extended meeting of the TS unit of the party at the Telangana Telugu Desam headquarters NTR Bhavan here.

Mr Naidu alleged that the Centre was threatening state governments under the guise of ordering investigations by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Department (ED) against political leaders. He warned the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre said that it was not a good precedent to provoke investigating agencies. He said there were speculations about ‘Operation Garuda’ in AP to unseat the TD government. Mr Naidu asked what the Centre had done for Telangana state and alleged that the Centre had cheated both Telugu states in implementing the promises contained in the AP Reorganisation Act.

He said he had requested the Centre several times to do justice to both Telugu states. Mr Naidu said that he had asked the Centre to sanction the steel plant at Bayyaram and tribal university to Telangana stae. He said, “The BJP is dictating what we have to eat, what kind of dresses we wear.” He said that under the BJP rule, educated youth were not getting jobs. With demonetisation people had lost confidence on banks.

He said no section of society was happy in the four-and-a-half years of BJP rule. The prices of petrol and diesel would reach Rs 100 per litre under the BJP, he said. Mr Naidu said the TD always fought on principles but not for power. He said the TD had joined the NDA after Mr Modi came to Hyderabad and requested him. He said he did not fear anybody. Mr Naidu said the presence of the TD in Telangana state was a historical necessity. TD leaders who had left the party were rejoining and many leaders were expressing interest to contest on a TD ticket. He said Hyderabad had got global recognition because of reforms brought by the TD government. He asked party leaders and workers to be vigilant and to ger up to fight the coming Telangana Assembly elections with vigour.