As President Droupadi Murmu arrived in Hyderabad for a five-day winter sojourn, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao received her at the Hakimpet Air Force Station on Monday, December 26. This is Droupadi Murmu's first visit to Telangana after she was elected to the top post in July. Prior to the Presidential election, KCR had opposed Murmu, who was the NDA candidate, and backed the joint opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha. However, adhering to protocol, KCR turned up to receive the President on Monday evening, unlike during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visits. So far this year, CM KCR has snubbed the PM thrice during the latter’s visits to Telangana, and instead nominated a state Minister to receive him.
Murmu first landed at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Shamshabad earlier in the day, where she was received by Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy, and Telangana Minister for Tribal Welfare Satyavati Rathod. She left for the Srisailam temple in Andhra Pradesh by helicopter and returned to Hyderabad in the evening, for a five-day stay at the Rashtrapati Nilayam. Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who has alleged mistreatment by the BRS government, was also present when KCR received the President. This was the first time after many days that the Governor and CM of Telangana were present at an official programme together.
KCR has stayed away during Modi’s engagements in Telangana on multiple occasions. The tension came to the fore for the first time in November 2020, during PM Modi’s visit to the Bharat Biotech facility in Hyderabad to review COVID-19 vaccine development work. At the time, KCR was reportedly not invited or informed about Modi’s visit beforehand. KCR’s son and state Minister KT Rama Rao had objected to the move at the time, saying KCR should’ve been invited by the Prime Minister’s Office.
President Smt #DroupadiMurmu ji reached at the Hakimpet Airport in #Secunderabad today, for Southern sojourn, CM #KCR, Governor, CS, DGP... received the President at the Airport.
— Surya Reddy (@jsuryareddy) December 26, 2022
This is Droupadi Murmu’s first visit to #Telangana after she was elected as President.#Hyderabad pic.twitter.com/N2R70kmes8
Prior to KCR’s foray into national politics with the renaming of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and his heightened oppositional stance towards the Modi-led Union government, KCR had given the PM the cold shoulder in February this year. When Modi visited Hyderabad in February to unveil the 'Statue of Equality' commemorating the 11th-century Bhakti saint Ramanujacharya at the premises of Chinna Jeeyar Trust, CM KCR remained absent at the event. KCR had nominated state Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav to receive and see the Prime Minister off. At the time, when the BJP questioned KCR’s absence, the Chief Minister’s office claimed that a couple of KCR’s family members had COVID-19-like symptoms at the time.
This incident triggered a public row in April when KTR alleged that KCR had been asked by the Prime Minister’s Office to stay away from Modi’s programmes in February. The PMO, however, refuted these claims and alleged that it was in fact CM KCR’s office which informed that the Chief Minister could not attend the events.
Again in May, when Modi visited the state to attend the celebration of the completion of 20 years of Indian School of Business (ISB) Hyderabad, KCR was away in Bengaluru to meet former PM and Janata Dal (Secular) leader HD Deve Gowda. In July, once again, KCR rebuffed Modi during his visit to Hyderabad to attend the BJP's National Executive meeting. Instead, KCR along with several of his cabinet ministers received Yashwant Sinha, the opposition's Presidential candidate at the time against Murmu, just hours before the PM's arrival.
President Droupadi Murmu will stay at the Rashtrapati Nilayam from December 26 to 30. Apart from visiting the Srisailam temple in Andhra Pradesh on Monday, she inaugurated projects related to the development of the shrine under the Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) of the Union Ministry of Tourism. She also visited the Sri Shivaji Spoorthy Kendram at Srisailam before returning to Hyderabad and reaching the Rashtrapati Nilayam.
On December 27, the President will address the students and faculty members of the Keshav Memorial Educational Society in Hyderabad. On the same day, she will visit Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy and address officer trainees of the Indian Police Service (74th RR batch) there, a statement issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said. Murmu will also inaugurate a wide plate mill of Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited (MIDHANI) in Hyderabad, it said.
On December 28, the President will visit Sri Seetharama Chandra Swamyvari Devasthanam, Bhadrachalam and lay the foundation stone for the development of tourism infrastructure at the Bhadrachalam temple under the PRASHAD scheme. She will also inaugurate the 'Sammakka Saralamma Janjati Pujari Sammelan' organised by the Vanvasi Kalyan Parishad Telangana as well as virtually inaugurate Eklavya Model Residential Schools of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs in Komaram Bheem Asifabad and Mahabubabad districts of Telangana. On the same day, Murmu will visit the Ramappa temple in Warangal district, where she will lay the foundation stones for the development of tourism infrastructure at the temple and restoration of the Kameshwaralaya temple, according to the statement.
The President will interact with the students and faculty members of G Narayanamma Institute of Technology and Science, BM Malani Nursing College and Suman Junior College of Mahila Dakshata Samithi in Hyderabad on December 29, the statement said. On the same day, she will also visit the Statue of Equality at Sriramnagaram, Shamshabad, it said. On December 30, she will host 'veer naris' (widows of armed forces personnel who have died in war or a military operation) and other dignitaries over lunch at the Rashtrapati Nilayam before returning to Delhi, it added.
With PTI inputs