Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao as nominated Animal Husbandry, Fisheries, Dairy Development Minister T Srinivas Yadav to receive and see off Prime Minister Modi on Saturday as per the protocol though he would be sharing the stage at the ceremonies. The reason given was that the CM is unwell.
PM Modi is on a visit to Hyderabad to inaugurate the 216-feet tall 'Statue of Equality' commemorating the 11th-century Saint Sri Ramanujacharya at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Prior to it, he will participate in the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT).
"I look forward to being in Hyderabad today to take part in two programmes. At around 2:45 PM, I will join the 50th Anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT, an important institution that works on aspects relating to agriculture and innovation," PM Modi said in a tweet today.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate ICRISAT's Climate Change Research Facility on Plant Protection and ICRISAT's Rapid Generation Advancement Facility. The Prime Minister will also unveil a specially designed logo of ICRISAT and launch a commemorative stamp issued on the occasion.
"At 5 PM, I will join the programme to inaugurate the 'Statue of Equality.' This is a fitting tribute to Sri Ramanujacharya, whose sacred thoughts and teachings inspire us," he added. The inauguration of the Statue of Equality is a part of the 12-day Sri Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Sri Ramanujacharya.
KCR's scathing attack on Budget
The Chief Minister is also not likely to share a dais with the Prime Minister at the ashram. Dropping hints to this effect, he visited the asharam on Thursday to participate in Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroh celebrations and went around the giant statue.
KCR's move to not to receive the Prime Minister is significant in view of his scathing attack on the latter after presentation of Union Budget 2022-23 in Parliament on Tuesday.
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief went ballistic while lashing out at the Centre for ignoring all the demands of the state and termed the budget "golmal" and "useless".
At the same news conference when KCR was asked whether he would receive the Prime Minister, he remarked "it's automatic. It goes without saying". "Whenever the Prime Minister is there in any state, the Chief Minister goes and welcomes. It's a routine thing. It's a protocol requirement. Nothing special about it," he had said.
On sharing dias with Modi
KCR, however, was evasive when asked if he would be sharing the dais with the PM. The TRS leader had defended his attack on PM. "This is my policy. Even while sitting along with Mr Narendra Modi in his helicopter, I will say the same thing," he said.
At his two-and-half hour long news conference, KCR had made a bitter attack on Modi, mocking his 'Gujarat Model' and the different outfits he chose for elections in different states.
The TRS chief has also announced that he would play a role in national politics to bring a qualitative change in the country as both Congress and BJP have failed to meet the aspirations of people.
Despite his assurance to the press on Tuesday that he would take up the issues raised after the budget with the PM during his visit, the Telangana chief minister has decided not to receive the PM. Instead, he has nominated another minister to receive the prime minister.
Earlier too, KCR was not part of PM Modi's 2020 visit to vaccine maker Bharat Biotech at a time when the elections for the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) saw both parties fielded bitterly against each other.
(With inputs from IANS)
