Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the “elder brother”, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday, March 4, sought his cooperation in developing Telangana like Gujarat.
“According to me, the Prime Minister is an ‘elder brother’. Only if we have the support of the elder brother, the Chief Ministers can develop their respective states. If Telangana has to grow like Gujarat, we require your assistance,” Revanth Reddy said appealing to the Prime Minister.
The Chief Minister, who is also the president of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee, said that they do not intend to have any rivalry between the state and the Union government. “If the Union and the state government maintain a human and transactional relationship with each other, we can grow together. I hope that you will extend the same help which you have given so far in the future too. This is our appeal,” Revanth Reddy said at a gathering in Adilabad.
This was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first visit to Telangana after the Congress government came to power in the state, replacing the K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi government. Modi is on a two-day visit to the state, to inaugurate several development projects. On Monday, the PM inaugurated development projects worth Rs 7,000 crores in Adilabad district.
Speaking at the event, Revanth Reddy said that Telangana wants to join hands in fulfilling the PM's dream of a five trillion-dollar economy. He said that Hyderabad, a metropolitan city, will assist the Union government in the country's progress and sought funds for the development of the Metro rail project.
Seeking Modi’s support, Revanth said that he wants to develop Musi river on par with the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, addressing a gathering in Adilabad as part of the BJP’s Lok Sabha election campaign, Modi said that nothing will change in Telangana with the Congress party coming to power in place of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Alleging that both the parties are one and the same, he said as Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) becoming BRS made no difference, the Congress coming to power in place of BRS will also make no difference.
“People of Telangana have realised that the faces of family-centric parties may be different but their character is same,” he said adding that ‘jhoot (lie) and loot’ are their common traits.
PM Modi alleged that BRS during its rule did scams like the Kaleshwaram project but instead of acting on it, the Congress government is sitting on files.
The Prime Minister said that INDIA bloc leaders who are neck-deep in corruption, dynasty politics and appeasement are getting panicky.
“Since I questioned their dynasty politics, they have started saying Modi has no family. Tomorrow, they may say that you were never convicted and hence you can’t be in politics,” he said, adding that his life is like an open book.