Week after KCR terming Modi 'acheche mitra', KTR says Modi is weakest PM. KTR is in Delhi to seek Union government's support for infra projects.
In his meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, KTR reiterated the Telangana government's appeal for the transfer of the defence land for various road development projects. (Facebook)
Taking a dig at the Opposition Unity Meet at Patna in Bihar, BRS working president KT Rama Rao expressed strong belief in the “unity of people” over the unity of political parties.
Addressing a news conference in New Delhi on Friday, 23 June, Rama Rao — popularly known as KTR — criticised the significant failures of both the BJP and Congress in the country’s development over the past 75 years.
He held the two national parties responsible for the inadequate basic amenities in the nation’s villages.
Emphasising the need for people to unite against these parties, KTR, the Telangana Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD), pledged to foster unity on specific issues and work towards addressing them.
His comment came even as 17 Opposition parties from across the country decided to jointly fight against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The BRS did not attend the Unity Meet convened by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in Patna.
Additionally, he asserted that Narendra Modi is the weakest prime minister in the nation’s history. He specifically pointed out that the BRS has consistently criticised Modi’s shortcomings than any other political party.
KTR’s statement came a week after BRS supremo and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) termed Modi “a good friend”.
Replying to a question at a media conference at Nagpur in Maharashtra a week ago, KCR said: “Modi achche mitra hai (Modi is a good friend).”
KTR was at his acerbic best when he took on the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
The Telangana minister criticised the Union government’s lack of support for crucial development projects in Hyderabad. He highlighted the stalled Metro Rail expansion plans, the repeated appeals made by the state government, and the failure of both the BJP and Congress in fostering the nation’s progress.
Expressing disappointment, KTR pointed out that despite the significant growth and accomplishments of Telangana over the past nine years, the Union government’s contribution to Hyderabad’s development has been negligible.
He highlighted the state government’s repeated appeals to the Center for cooperation in the growth of various sectors in Hyderabad. However, the minister expressed dissatisfaction at the complete lack of any contribution by the Union government in Hyderabad’s development.
KTR emphasised the urgent need for collaboration between the state and Union governments to foster growth in sectors such as IT, aerospace, defence, pharma, and life sciences in Hyderabad.
Earlier, in what appeared to be a thaw in the frozen BRS-BJP relationship, KTR held talks with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a cordial atmosphere.
The state minister made a representation to Singh, reiterating the Telangana government’s appeal for the transfer of defence lands for various road development projects in and around Hyderabad.
The projects are aimed at easing traffic congestion on the city’s arterial roads. KTR also appealed to Singh to facilitate the merger of the civil areas of the Secunderabad Cantonment Board (SCB) with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.
The BRS sought defence lands for road projects such as the development of a Skywalk at Mehdipatnam, the development of an elevated corridor on Rajiv Rahadari (SH-01), the development of an elevated corridor from Paradise Junction to Outer Ring Road (ORR) Junction near Kandlakoya on NH-44, and link roads under Hyderabad Road Development Corporation Limited (HRDCL), besides the widening of certain roads.
KTR said that the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) undertook the construction and development of a Skywalk at Rythu Bazaar, Mehdipatnam, Hyderabad, as part of the city’s road network and pedestrian movement improvement project. The project required 0.51 acres of defence land.
Addressing the news conference later, KTR hoped for a positive outcome.
Announcing his upcoming meeting with Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs Hardeep Singh Puri, KTR said he would reiterate his appeal for the extension of the Metro Rail from Lakdi Ka Pul to BHEL, and from Nagole to LB Nagar.
Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) were submitted to the Union government on these projects. He said that though the state contributed its share for the MMTS, there was no response from the Union government.
KTR urged the Union government to collaborate with the state to strengthen the public transport system in Hyderabad city. Also, he appealed to the Centre to support the expansion of the Metro from Patancheru to Hayat Nagar.
Ponting at the allocation of Metro rail to nearly 10 small towns in Uttar Pradesh, KTR said that the Centre needs to explain why it is not supporting Metro Rail expansion in Hyderabad.
KTR also demanded Union Minister Kishan Reddy explain the lack of support from the Centre during the floods in Hyderabad, while funds were readily allocated to Gujarat and other BJP-ruled states.
Highlighting the significant financial contributions made by Telangana towards the development of economically disadvantaged BJP-ruled states, KTR emphasised that the BJP leaders should express gratitude to the people of Telangana and the state government for their crucial role in the nation-building process.
Affirming the persistent lack of support from the Centre towards Telangana over the past nine years and anticipating a continuation of such attitude, the minister emphasised that if the Union government fails to alter its approach, the matter would be raised before the public.
The minister mentioned the state government’s proposal for the development of an elevated corridor from Paradise Junction (near Gymkhana Grounds) to ORR Junction on Hyderabad-Karimnagar-Ramagundam (HKR) Road (SH-01).
The proposed route passes through major locations such as West Marredpally, Karkhana, Trimulgherry, Bolarum, Alwal, Hakimpet, and Thumkunta, and ends at the junction with ORR at Shamirpet.
It covers a length of 18.400 kilometres and the exit and entry ramps are planned at Trimulgherry Junction (two ramps) and Alwal.
Additionally, KTR appealed to the Union minister to transfer small portions of defence land for the creation of link roads and road widening in Hyderabad.
The road widening works were proposed at locations such as Kanchanbagh, the junction of Road No.1 and 12 at Banjara Hills, from Zohra Bee Dargah to Rakshapuram, from Mohammadi Lane to Andhra Flour Mill Road and from Andhra Flour Mill to Tipu Khan Bridge.
The minister might also call on Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia or Union Minister of State VK Singh and seek early action on the proposal to set up an airport at Mamunuru near Warangal.
The BRS leader is likely to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday, though he was expecting to talk with him on Friday. Shah was unavailable on Friday.
If KTR’s meeting with Shah materialises, he is expected to seek land under the Home Ministry for the development of roads in Rasoolpura in Hyderabad.
Official sources said KR’s visit was to put pressure on the Union government to clear projects that have been awaiting its assistance for the past nine years. As there has been an inordinate delay, the MA&UD minister undertook the journey to Delhi to exert pressure on the Centre.
A recent thaw in the relations between the BRS and BJP became apparent after Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao maintained a stoic silence on the saffron party in his public speeches and, instead, trained his guns at the Congress.
It is almost a year since BRS leaders stopped visiting Delhi after taking a strong anti-BJP stand. Now the pendulum seems to have swung to the other way.
The first indication of the armistice came soon after KTR arrived from his US tour when he said that there was no point in harbouring blind hatred against Narendra Modi and that the present circumstances did not warrant a single-minded agenda to defeat him in the next elections.
He also said KCR would be the chief minister of the state for the third time and that he may not take an active role in the Opposition’s efforts to craft a credible coalition against the saffron party. The BRS did not attend the Patna meeting on Friday.
But in Delhi on Friday, KTR preferred to term Modi the weakest Prime Minister in India.
Incidentally, Telangana BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar, on Thursday, said KTR meeting Union ministers to explain development projects taken up by the state government is part of a BRS-Congress conspiracy.
The BRS ploy is to tarnish the BJP and bring down its graph, and divert the failures of the state government, he said.
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