Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched into a no holds barred full scale political onslaught against the Telangana Rastra Samiti (TRS) Government accusing it of being “corrupt”, and “being run by a single family” which is detrimental to the interests of the poor and the development of the state.
Amid chants of “Modi...Modi” at the Begumpet airport tarmac where a makeshift stage was put up to accord a grand welcome to him by the Telangana unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Mr. Modi said the agitation for separate Telangana was certainly not meant for a single family to “enjoy unheralded power and loot the state”.
The family dominated and owned parties are a “threat to the country and democracy itself” with the “Telangana people witnessing first hand on what happens when a family takes over the reigns of power”. “Corruption becomes the main face of such dynastic parties who can think only of self-interest without bothering the problems or welfare of the poor and marginalised sections,” he affirmed.
In a direct reference to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, he said it was also “dangerous to have a person trusting more in superstitions and blind beliefs in power as they cannot do justice with a constricted point of view”. “I was once told in Gujarat not to visit a place as the CM’s chair will go away, but I still went there nevertheless because I have faith in knowledge and technology,” he declared, amid cheers.
In this context, Mr. Modi mentioned Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for being a ‘sanyasi’ and dressing like one but with his faith in modern knowledge and technology, he won elections for the second time. He recalled his previous visits to the city when people had purchased tickets to listen to him even before he was known across the country.
“The love and affection showered on me by people of Hyderabad and Telangana is what has propelled me to become the Prime Minister. I cannot forget that and cannot thank you enough,” he said. Mr. Modi was sure that the BJP will come to power in the next elections and this was evident in the recent victories of the party in the bypolls.
“It is crystal clear there is going to be a change in the government here as the Telangana people have already made up their minds on this count. The change is imminent and the party is ready,” he said. His Government at the Centre in the last eight years has taken the slogan of ‘development for all’ irrespective of caste or creed seriously and implemented the welfare and development schemes.
“The poor can now live a life of dignity and dream of a better future as they are part of the development process as they are part of the banking system through the Jan-Dhan yojana, there are direct benefit transfers to the farmers, houses being built for the poor and so on”, he explained.
Telangana’s poor sections too deserve to get the benefit of such schemes but the TRS government has been changing names to claim credit but it “cannot erase us from the hearts of the poor as we always strive to help such sections first,” he said.
The country is on a fast development track having third largest number of start ups in the world based on modern technology and Telangana has a big role to play in this endevour for which a progressive government by the BJP is necessary.
The Prime Minister said he was informed about the death of three party activists in recent past and paid his homage to them. He exhorted the party cadre to work hard to bring the party to power in the next elections by getting rid of the “dynastic government”.
Promising to develop Telangana into a ‘technical hub’ and in all other aspects, he observed that the dreams of having a separate state have not fructified due to the TRS family rule. “BJP’s fight is for the future of Telangana and for its self-respect,” he said and thanked the party cadre for coming and greeting him in large numbers despite the sweltering heat.
TS BJP leaders from Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy, party chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar, national OBC president K. Laxman and others were present.
