MAHBUBNAGAR: Waving to an ecstatically enthused crowd of supporters, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set an, otherwise, politically inert Sunday abuzz with excitement in Telangana, and declared with supreme confidence, “I can clearly see that the people of Telangana have made up their mind. They want change. They want to vote out a corrupt BRS government.”
Enjoying the thunderous response of the tens of thousands of people gathered to hear him speak, Modi further said, “There is a sea of humanity in front of me. Their feelings are clear. They want change, they have decided. They are no longer willing to have a corrupt government, but want transparency, hard work and results, which only the BJP can provide.”
Before the public meeting began, earlier, at a Central government programme, Modi, along with Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union minister and state BJP chief G. Kishan Reddy and Karimnagar MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar, dedicated several projects to the nation, inaugurated a plethora of new programmes and speaking, briefly at the event, announced the formation of a national turmeric board and the launch of a Central tribal university in Mulugu district to be named after the tribal Goddesses Samakka-Saralamma.
Later on, at the public meeting, Modi reiterated his two major announcements, saying how India was a leading producer, consumer and exporter of turmeric, with exports doubling since 2014. “After the Covid-19 pandemic, global interest in turmeric has grown up. We have to ensure our farmers benefit from it. We have decided to establish a National Turmeric Board in Nizamabad to ensure farmers, especially in Telangana, can grab the growing global market.”
Referring to the announcement of the establishment of the tribal varsity in Mulugu, Modi said, “We would have set up the tribal university much before but the KCR-led state government did not evince any interest, or give support even in procurement of land. This shows how the BRS is not interested in the development and wellbeing of tribal folk, and other subalterns, like Dalits and OBCs.”
Besides the two major announcements, the Prime Minister laid the foundation for infra projects estimated to cost over Rs. 6,400 crore. Modi also inaugurated several projects, including broadening the Suryapet-Khammam section with four lanes, as part of a National Highway, at a cost of Rs. 2,460 crore, laying a railway line between Jaklair and Krishna at Rs. 500 crore, an HPCL LPG pipeline between Hassan and Cherlapalli costing Rs.2,170 crore, two four-lane sections from Warangal to Khammam and between Khammam and Vijayawada as part of the greenfield National Highway-163G.
He also virtually flagged off the Hyderabad (Kacheguda)-Raichur train service, inaugurated a multi-product pipeline from Krishnapatnam port to Hyderabad, and started a four-lane section of Suryapet-Khammam section (NH-365BB), besides buildings at the University of Hyderabad and S.N. School of Arts and Communication.
Speaking about the difference between other governments — the BRS government in state and Congress governments at the Centre — and the BJP-led governments since 2014, Modi said, “We increased the annual outlay to procure farmers’ produce seven-fold. We reopened a fertiliser plant unit at Ramagundam at a cost of Rs.6,300 crore to help farmers of the region with urea. But consider the KCR government, which uses farmers as a ruse to loot the state exchequer. Nowhere in the world would you see a mega irrigation project being inaugurated but there is no water. They promised to waive loans of farmers, but they cheated the farmers.”
Responding to the massive cheer and adulation from the people, Modi said, “The women of Telangana have given so much support and empowered Modi, which is why he worked so tirelessly for them. Women know they have a brother in Delhi working for them. They know the impact the women reservation bill would have on their lives. And now, seeing your love and affection, I am sure neither the Congress nor the BRS will get any sleep henceforth.”
Hitting out hard at the Opposition parties, Modi said, “They share the same DNA. Family-run parties have only two priorities – corruption and commission. They work for their own family’s welfare, we in BJP work for your family’s welfare. Family-run parties have reduced political parties to a private limited company status, where all posts, MD, director, CEO, general manager, chief manager, manager all go to family members. Then a few small support staff roles are given to others as window dressing.”
Modi appealed to the people of Telangana to vote out the corrupt BRS, saying they have reduced democracy to a “family-ocracy,” where all power is “for the family, of the family and by the family.”
Earlier, Modi, onboard an open vehicle, drove past the rapturous crowds and waved to the people. Tens of thousands of people assembled at the venue were seen waving back with BJP flags, banners and special messages, creating a festive atmosphere at the venue.
If it was the launch of the BJP campaign for Telangana, the state unit could not have asked for or expected a better start of the battle cry, with India’s greatest political mass leader leading the way.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed two long-pending demands and inaugurated a slew of projects and initiated work on others
Announced
- National Turmeric Board at Nizamabad, India’s largest turmeric market
- Samakka-Saralamma Central Tribal University at Mulugu district
Inaugurated and dedicated to the nation:
- 4-laning of 59-km Suryapet-Khammam section of NH-365BB; Rs 2,457 crore
- 37-km Jaklair-Krishna railway line; cost Rs.505 crore
- 650-km Hassan-Cherlapalli LPG pipeline; cost Rs2,166 crore.
- New buildings at University of Hyderabad (School of Economics, School of Mathematics and Statistics, School of Management Studies, Lecture Hall Complex-III, and S.N. School of Arts and Communication annexe; Rs.81 crore
- Kacheguda-Raichur train service.
Foundation stones laid for:
- 108-km 4-lane access-controlled Warangal-Khammam section of the new National Highway 163G; Rs.3,397 crore.
- 90-km 4-lane access-controlled Khammam-Vijayawada section of NH-163G; Rs.3,007 crore
- 425-km multi-product pipeline from Krishnapatnam port to Hyderabad; Rs.1,932 crore
