Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday said that she was upset about Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao using a particular Telugu word for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with others in the BJP and even the entire country.
She told reporters in Hyderabad that though the Chief Minister's son KT Rama Rao conveyed to her that it was a slip of the tongue, she feels that the clarification should have come from the Chief Minister himself.
The Defence Minister said after learning about the remarks made by KCR against Modi on Wednesday evening, she was undecided on whether to attend the inauguration of Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited in Hyderabad on Thursday morning.
Sitharaman said she called up Rama Rao to convey her feelings.
"He spoke in detail. He said it was a slip of the tongue. He also said he doesn't think his father would have spoken in that manner," said the Central Minister.
She said while the Chief Minister may have ideological differences with the Prime Minister, the criticism should be in an appropriate manner so that it could be responded to.
At the inauguration of Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd, Sitharaman shared the dais with Rama Rao, who is the state Minister for Industry, Information Technology and Municipal Administration.
While Rama Rao, in his speech, reiterated his demand that the Defence Minister sanction a defence industrial manufacturing corridor for Telangana, Sitharaman did not respond to it in her remarks.
Addressing a public meeting in Karimnagar on Sunday, KCR hit out at Modi for ignoring farmers in the Union Budget 2018-19. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief said that there is no difference between the policies of Modi and the Congress party.
While criticising Modi, the Chief Minister reportedly used a Telugu word, which the BJP says was disrespectful to the Prime Minister.
Protests were held across the state last week, demanding KCR’s apology for his strong language against PM Modi.
"During his last speech in Karimnagar, he used Telugu words such as "vaadu", "veedu", "gaadu", which are highly objectionable and condemnable," the BJP leaders had said.
IANS inputs