PM Modi in Hyderabad to inaugurate the 'Statue of Equality'
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at Hyderabad airport this afternoon but Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao skipped not just welcoming the Prime Minister as he landed in Hyderabad but also all the events that he was here to attend.
The Prime Minister first went to the International Crop Research Institute For Semi-Arid Tropics on their 50th anniversary and then went to Muchintala on the outskirts of Hyderabad to formally dedicate a 216-feet Statue of Equality of Swamy Ramanujacharya to the nation.
Though the Telangana Chief Minister's Office conveyed to the PMO that the Chief Minister would stay away from the PM's events as he was running fever, his critics and political observers say there could be more to it than health reasons.
Just days before the Prime Minister's arrival, Chief Minister KCR had attacked PM Modi as someone who "dresses for elections", and condemned the so-called 'Gujarat Model' as "style without substance" and 'lying on social media to win elections'.
Telangana BJP termed KCR breaking airport welcome protocol as "Idiotic and shameful". The party alleged that KCR has been "regularly insulting Constitution".
On Tuesday evening, post the Union budget, after KCR slammed the Central government, the BJP and the Prime Minister personally, NDTV had asked him if he would skip coming face-to-face with the Prime Minister on Saturday.
"As part of protocol, I will welcome the Prime Minister. Criticising the BJP is my politics but this is protocol. Even on chopper ride with him, I will tell him that," KCR had quipped.
Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy and Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav were among the VIPs who received PM Modi at the airport.
A communication from the Chief Minister's Office yesterday had said Talasani Srinivas Yadav is nominated to receive and see off the Prime Minister upon his arrival and departure during the latter's visit to the city today.
Even as the Prime Minister was in Hyderabad, a group of youngsters shared a video of them holding a flexi that asked PM Modi to show 'Equality For Telangana'.
This after Minister KT Rama Rao said yesterday that while unveiling the statue of equality, the prime minister must imbibe some of its spirit and stop alleged discrimination towards Telangana and show equality towards the state.
In January, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Channi skipped the customary airport welcome to the Prime Minister.