The actor made the comment at the NTR's centenary celebrations organised at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
Tamil Superstar Rajinikanth’s comment — that Hyderabad had developed so much that whenever he was there he wonders whether he was in New York — seems to have added credence to the political claims of not the BRS but the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
The actor made the comment at the NTR’s centenary celebrations organised at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh on Friday, 28 April.
He said he was struck by the development of Hyderabad.
Movie Legend with Political Legend#Rajinikanth#NCBN pic.twitter.com/ZjWwe8KNoT
— Telugu Desam Party (@JaiTDP) April 28, 2023
“I was in Jubilee Hills and Banjara Hills recently for the shooting of the film Jailor. For a moment, I wondered whether I was in Hyderabad or in New York,” he said in a token of appreciation for former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts in developing the city.
“I came to know that the city has developed economically as well,” he said.
After a long time..I met my dear friend and respected Chandrababu Naidu garu and spent memorable time ..I wished him good health and great success in his political life. @ncbn pic.twitter.com/shIoKLROz4
— Rajinikanth (@rajinikanth) January 10, 2023
Hyderabad Twitterati went to town with Rajinikanth paying compliments to the city.
Some suggested that the Tamil superstar shift to Hyderabad and visit Chennai now and then, while others praised current Telangana IT, Industries, Municipal Administration, and Urban Development Minister KT Rama Rao and the ruling BRS government for developing the infrastructure in Hyderabad.
It may be noted that the TDP in general and its chief Chandrababu Naidu in particular are personae non grata in Telangana because they opposed the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, which led to the formation of the state in 2014.
Interestingly, the development of Hyderabad and the concomitant problem of choking traffic found a place in KT Rama Rao’s address after he laid the foundation stone for the Women Entrepreneurs International Trade and Technology Center (WE ITTC) in Hyderabad on Friday.
KTR laid the foundation stone at A-GRIP in Nandigama of the Patancheru Mandal in the Sangareddy district.
He said Hyderabad was becoming more or less like Bengaluru as vehicular traffic was growing at an unimaginable pace, choking roads.
Turning to ALEAP president Rama Devi Kanneganti, who is also the senior vice-chairperson of WE-ITTC, he advised her to concentrate on rural areas to promote development.
“If everyone focuses on Hyderabad, we will also become like Bengaluru, where you do not know when you would reach home once you land at the airport. In fact, Hyderabad is also becoming like Bengaluru. We have constructed 35 flyovers, and now we have to expand the metro as well,” he said.
KTR, meanwhile, appealed to women entrepreneurs not to aim small.
“Women’s entrepreneurship does not mean PPP — pickles, papads, and petticoats. I want them to be into rockets, technology, and food processing. You have to push the envelope and press the right buttons to achieve the success that you deserve,” he said.
KTR also argued in favour of promoting inclusivity as this was the best time to be an entrepreneur in India.
The private-government partnership was very critical for real growth, he said.
“There are five revolutions simultaneously taking form in Telangana: Green Revolution, where Telangana’s farming segment is touching new heights of success; Blue Revolution, under which fisheries are raising their standards through Mission Kakatiya; Pink Revolution whereby Telangana is emerging as the top state in livestock; White Revolution wherein dairy product range is both qualitatively and quantitatively growing; and Yellow Revolution, where edible oils production is on the rise,” he said.
“In that context, being an entrepreneur has a lot of possibilities in Telangana, given its business policies, infrastructure, and support to really build world-class products. And ALEAP with its innovative avenues is definitely a great contributor,” he said.
Empowering women entrepreneurs beyond borders!
Industries Minister @KTRBRS laid foundation stone for @ALEAP93's Women Entrepreneurs International Trade and Technology Centre at Patancheru@weittc promotes trade & tech among women entrepreneurs from India, SAARC & ASEAN nations pic.twitter.com/5MrsAdcbtJ
— KTR, Former Minister (@MinisterKTR) April 28, 2023