Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi how he was affected by his beliefs.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief responded to Modi’s comments made at an election rally in Nizamabad earlier in the day that he (Rao) was so insecure that he relied on astrologer, ‘pooja paath’ and ‘nimbu mirchi’.
“How are you affected by my beliefs? What is your loss if I perform poojas? I will perform 10 yagnams a year. Did I ever trouble you?” asked Rao at an election rally in Mahabubnagar.
“I offer food and ‘teertham’ (holy water) to those believers who attend my yagnams. If you are also a believer, come, attend my yagnam and take holy water. I am a believer. I believe in God. What is your worry?” asked KCR, as Rao is popularly known.
The TRS leader also slammed Modi over his opposition to reservation for Muslims saying he (Modi) was afflicted with Hindu-Muslim disease.
KCR said since the population of Muslims had gone up to 12 percent in Telangana, his government sent a resolution to the Centre to hike the quota from 4 percent to 12 percent.
Exuding confidence that TRS will return to power in Telangana by winning over 100 seats in he 119-member Assembly, KCR urged people to ensure that TRS won all 17 Lok Sabha seats in the next election.
“A non-BJP and non-Congress government will come to power at the Centre. This government will follow people’s agenda, fulfil their aspirations and understand their emotions,” said KCR.
The TRS chief defended friendship with Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM). He said both TRS and MIM were ‘pucca’ local parties.
He claimed that it was MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi who alerted him about the conspiracy being hatched in Delhi to topple his government and extended the support of his party to foil the designs of the BJP and TDP to impose President’s rule.
KCR challenges Modi for a joint visit to Nizamabad
Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a joint visit to Nizamabad to find out if people are facing electricity and water problems as alleged by him.
Reacting to Modi’s remark at an election rally in Nizamabad that people in the town lack basic amenities, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief dared him to come with him for a visit.
KCR termed as the “biggest lie” Modi’s claim that people of Nizamabad are facing electricity problem. He also remarked that he had never seen such an “ignorant” Prime Minister.
“You are Prime Minister of the country. How can you talk like this?” asked TRS chief while pointing out that Electricity Authority of India has ranked Telangana number one in per capita power consumption in the country.
Addressing election rallies in Mahabubnagar district, KCR claimed that Telangana is the only state supplying uninterrupted round-the-clock free power to farmers. “Even the BJP-ruled states are not doing this,” he said.
KCR’s daughter and Nizamabad MP K. Kavita also reacted sharply to Modi’s speech. “Let him come for a field visit. I wonder if PM is able to do in his constituency Varanasi what we have achieved here,” she said.
Modi in his speech poked fun at KCR’s promise to turn Nizamabad into London. “While coming here I asked pilot (of the chopper) to take a round to see if he has done this. I found that towns in states with relatively weak economy are better than Nizamabad,” he said.
Modi was on a visit to Telangana to campaign for BJP for December 7 elections to Telangana Assembly.
