Anti-Modi protests galore in Telangana ahead of Ramagundam visit

HYDERABAD: A couple of days ahead of Prime Minister's visit to Telangana, anti-Modi protests have been staged at various parts of the state by Singareni workers, handloom weavers and students on Thursday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a tour of four southern states, is scheduled to arrive in Hyderabad on November 12, 2022 before heading to Ramagundam to take part in a few official engagements.

The Telangana Chenetha Youth Force has been heavily critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his visit, over the five percent GST on handloom products. A flexi banner, which sprang up at the busy Jubilee Hills Check Post Cross Roads, screamed with the sentiment that there is no entry for Modi into Telangana until he orders rollback of the handloom GST.

Posters denouncing Prime Minister Narendra Modi were also reportedly displayed at a few places in Hyderabad including Jubilee Hills, Hitec City, and HICC on Thursday.

Employees and worker unions of Singareni Collieries Company Limited protested on Thursday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, demanding that the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill be withdrawn since it was not in the public interest. They attended duties on Thursday by sporting black ribbons to register their protest against the Prime Minister for what they alleged as anti-worker policies of the Centre.

Additionally, labour unions, student unions, and left-leaning political groups have planned to oppose the Prime Minister's visit to Ramagundam. The CPI and the CPM also vowed to block the Prime Minister's visit in resent the privatisation of government entities and alleged anti-labour measures.

The Telangana Students' Joint Action Committee too intends to protest during Modi's visit against the Centre's alleged failure to fulfill promises made to Telangana under the AP Reorganisation Act of 2014.

Before arriving in Telangana, Narendra Modi will visit Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh on November 11, 2022.