"Enough Bhaashanbaazi But...": Chief Minister KCR After PM's Attack

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao said there would soon be "change at the national level" and teased "sensational news" in a few months after the latest in his series of meetings with opposition leaders with a laser focus on the 2024 national election.

On Thursday, Mr Rao, or KCR, flew to Bengaluru for a meeting with former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda and his son HD Kumaraswamy at the same time Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting Telangana capital Hyderabad.

As PM Modi targeted him in Hyderabad on "parivarwaad (dynastic politics)" on his home turf, KCR said: "There's a lot of 'bhaashanbaazi' (speeches), many promises are made but what is the reality? Industries are closing down, GDP is falling, inflation is increasing... Farmers, Dalits and tribals are unhappy."

KCR has been meeting with opposition leaders across the country in his efforts to consolidate a united front against the BJP in 2024.

"I would like to say that I met Deve Gowda and HD Kumaraswamy, we discussed everything. There will be a change at the national level and no one can stop it. India will change...India must change. We should make every effort to change the state of the country," KCR said.

"You will get sensational news after two-three months," he added, not elaborating.

Earlier on Thursday, PM Modi said the struggle for a separate state was not for only one family to rule by all means possible, taking a swipe at KCR and his Telangana Rashtra Samiti.

"Parivarwaadi' parties only think about their own development. These parties do not care about the poor people, their politics is focused on how a single-family can stay in power and loot as much as they can. They do not have any interest in the development of people," PM Modi said, addressing party workers.

Without naming KCR, who is known for his strong beliefs and rituals, the PM said: "The people of Telangana must be wary of those whose superstitious beliefs come in the way of their administration."

KCR did not directly respond to the taunts but his party spokesperson, Krishank Manne, told NDTV: "PM only spoke about parivarwaad. If that is the case, then who is Jay Shah (Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son) to lead cricket of India? They should expel Rajnath Singh and his son also if they do not believe in parivarwaad. Why doesn't he speak about Telangana?"

KCR left for Bengaluru just hours before PM Modi's arrival in Hyderabad, avoiding him for the second time in four months. In February, when PM Modi visited the state to launch the Statue of Equality, a giant statue of Saint Ramanujacharya, KCR did not receive him citing his health.

"We are celebrating the Amrut Mahotsava of 75 years of Independence but we suffer for power, drinking water, irrigation water. I can't say who will come to power, but I can say that India has a glorious future," said KCR in Hindi, mocking the Prime Minister's theme.

"The youth of the country, intellectuals and journalists have a duty to see that India changes."

In his spree of opposition meetings to build a joint opposition grouping to take on the BJP, KCR recently met with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

He travels to Bengal next to meet with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. KCR will also visit Bihar, where he intends to meet both Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and opposition leader Tejashwi Yadav.