Do not stoop to level of sarpanch, K Chandrasekhar Rao tells PM Modi

Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to an open debate to explain to the people what his BJP-led government at the Centre has done for them and what it has done for development of Telangana state.

Addressing a meeting at Mahbubnagar, Mr Rao reacted to the criticism Mr Modi had levelled against him and also the social media campaign of the BJP against the TRS and said that it was not proper for a Prime Minister to stoop to the level of a village Sarpanch and tell blatant lies about him (Mr Rao) and his rule in the state.

Releasing video clippings of the Prime Minister’s speech when he visited Mahbubnagar in 2014, Mr Rao recalled that Mr Modi had promised financial support for the Palamuru Lift Irrigation Project, but in his five years of rule, Mr Modi had failed to keep his promise.

He said though the Niti Ayog recommended `24,000 crore financial support for Mission Bhagiratha and Mission Kakatiya, the Prime Minister did not sanction even `24.

He accused the BJP of carrying out a vicious campaign against the TRS. The BJP claims that it contributed Rs 800 in the Rs 1000 pension scheme of the state government, but that is a blatant lie, Mr Rao said. The the TS government gave pension of Rs 1,000 each to 47,88,070 people in the state while the BJP gave `200 each to 6,66,533 pensioners.

Mr Rao said the state government spent Rs 11,843 crore on its Rs 1,000 pension scheme, whereas the Centre has spent only Rs 203 crore. He dared the Prime Minister and the BJP leaders of the state to debate with him on the pension scheme. He urged the people to pull up BJP leaders and social media campaigners for this propaganda and throw them out from the state.

Reacting to the comments of BJP state president K. Lakshman that they would take Mr Rao to task after coming to power, the Chief Minister said that Mr Lakshman was day dreaming of coming to power and once the results were out the TRS would take Mr Lakshman and the BJP to task.

Ridiculing the BJP for trying to milk votes in the name of surgical strikes, Mr Rao said such surgical strikes had taken place even during the UPA government when he was in the Cabinet, but they were never disclosed. It was unfortunate that the BJP was making it a political issue, he said.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s comment of astrologers’ rule in Telangana state, Mr Rao said, “I believe in astrology. Why is the PM bothering about it? Shall we perform marriages and offer prayers with the consent of the BJP?” Mr Rao asked.

“They (the BJP) are political Hindus; we are real Hindus. We never use our religion for votes and we never divide people in the name of religion for the sake of garnering votes. We are peace-loving and affectionate people and we never spread hatred,” Mr Rao said.

He questioned why the Prime Minister was shying away from asking people to vote for him by explaining what he had done in his five years and instead asking for votes in the name of Ram Janmabhoomi and Hindu rashtra.

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