State's non-cooperation delaying Telangana projects: Narendra Modi

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday blamed the BRS Government in Telangana for not cooperating with the Centre in the execution of various programmes aimed at the development of the state.

Modi, who was on a short visit to Hyderabad, unveiled plaques by virtual mode for a slew of development works worth over Rs 11,000 crores for Telangana at an event held at the Parade Grounds in Secunderabad. The programme followed the flagging-off of the Vande Bharat Express train between Secunderabad and Tirupati by the Prime Minister at the Secunderabad Railway Station.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister used the occasion to train his guns at the K Chandrashekar Rao-led BRS Government in Telangana. In a veiled attack, without taking names, Modi alleged that a handful of people who work with corruption and family rule as their motto, were plundering Telangana and were intimidated by his development-oriented governance at the Centre.

“It pains me to observe that the State Government is not cooperating with the Centre in executing development activities. Because of this, every project is being delayed. The biggest sufferers from this non-cooperation are the people of Telangana,” he claimed.

“These corrupt people who believe in family rule have no concern for the country or the state. They are only interested in their selfish gains. They look for the selfish gains of their family in every project and investment. Telangana people should be wary of them,” he said.

Narendra Modi also made an oblique reference to the recent concerted effort by 14 opposition parties in the country and their letter written to the Supreme Court over the alleged misuse of central agencies like ED and the CBI by the Centre. He said that the political parties pursuing politics of corruption and family rule were so scared that they began doing weird things.

“They knocked at the judiciary’s (court’s) doors seeking protection from the Centre over their corruption. But, the judiciary gave them a befitting reply by shooting down their plea. I will continue to act sternly against these corrupt people and their family rule,” the Prime Minister vowed.

Modi also reasoned why there was no direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme until his government initiated it at the Centre after 2014. The genesis for the DBT is the resolve to end the scope for corruption, he said. The Prime Minister claimed that these corrupt political parties swearing by family rule never wanted to see the benefits of government initiatives directly reaching the poor. Because, these leaders and their parties want to control everything with an iron fist,” he commented.

In a collective reference to Telangana and elsewhere in the country, the Prime Minister asked the gathering of the BJP activists if they wanted him to continue his fight against corruption and family rule. “Should we fight against such corrupt people or not? Should we not rid the country of such elements by initiating strict action? Should we allow the law to take its own course to deal with such people or not?,” he asked the gathering.

The Prime Minister also made a conscious effort to link the philosophy of his government with the ideals of Dr B R Ambedkar. It comes against the backdrop of the ‘reverence of the highest order’ being accorded to the ‘Father of the Indian Constitution’ by the KCR Government in Telangana. “Democracy gets strengthened when the Government works with an all-encompassing commitment. This is one of the aspirations of Dr B R Ambedkar which my government follows diligently,” he claimed.

He further claimed that the country had witnessed a whole lot of positive development in the last nine years of his rule at the Centre.

The Prime Minister started his speech with the Telugu oneliner “Priya..mana sodara soidari manulaaraa, mee andiriki naa hrudaypurvak namaskaramulu…” In his trademark style, Modi also tried to invoke religion by referring to Hyderabad as a city hosting the Bhagyalakshmi temple. He said that the new Vande Bharat Express train will not only link ‘the city hosting the Bhagyalakshmi temple with the spiritual city of Tirupati hosting the abode of Lord Venkateswara' but in the process also connects modernity and new-age technology with spirituality as well.

Plaques unveiled for Rs 11,000-odd cr development works in Telangana

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw delivered the welcome address while Union Culture and Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy also spoke on the occasion. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) was conspicuous by his absence at the event. The Prime Minister’s Parade Grounds itinerary also listed the Telangana Chief Minister’s speech from 12:30 pm to 12:37 pm.

At the Parade Grounds, the Prime Minister unveiled plaques, through virtual mode, by pressing a remote control button, for various development works. These include laying of foundation stones for projects of the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, AIIMS buildings at Bibinagar, laying of foundation stone for Secunderabad Railway Station redevelopment, dedication to the nation of Secunderabad-Mahabubnagar railway line doubling and electrification and flagging off of 13 new MMTS services in new suburban sections of Secunderabad-Medchal.

Flagged off Vande Bharat even without State’s cooperation: Kishan Reddy

Union Tourism and Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said that the Vande Bharat Express train between Secunderabad and Tirupati was a gift from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

He said that the Modi Government had accorded priority to Telangana by allotting two of the 14 Vande Bharat Express trains in the country to the state. He also claimed that the Centre was able to flag off the two state-of-the-art trains from Secunderabad even though there was no cooperation from the State Government.

Giving a brief account of the Rs 11,000-odd crore development works unveiled on Saturday, Kishan Reddy said that the Modi Government had expanded the MMTS services by introducing 13 new trains for the larger benefit of the people of Hyderabad and its outskirts. He claimed that it came in as a culmination of efforts by the BJP’s MPs from Telangana.

Claiming that the Narendra Modi Goverment had so far spent about Rs 1.04 lakh crores for the development of roads in Telangana, he said this proves the Centre’s commitment for the all-round development of the state. “The Telangana society should realise this fact and bless Narendra Modi,” he said.

BJP dignitaries, activists jostle for access inside

Earlier, confusion and chaos prevailed for a brief while at the Parade Grounds meeting venue with a large number of BJP leaders and activists, brandishing VIP passes, scrambling to gain access inside. As they jostled with one another and even tried to barge inside, a mini-stampede of sorts took place, giving a hard time to the policemen manning the access points. In the melee, a few of the BJP leaders and activists reportedly fell down on the ground, causing some anxious moments. However, normalcy was eventually restored with the police quickly regulating the passage of dignitaries and activists inside.

Both the BJP and BRS vied with each other in putting up banners and flags of their respective parties on the occasion of the Prime Minister’s short visit to Hyderabad. The route of Modi's journey in the city was painted with a mix of saffron and pink hues as both the parties erected banners and flags in large numbers.