HYDERABAD: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Telangana on November 12, the TRS has launched a ‘protocol war’ on the BJP.
The PM will arriving in the state to dedicate to the nation the Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd (RFCL) plant at Ramagundam. The TRS on Tuesday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of not following protocol and insulting Telangana people by sending a communication asking Chief Minister K.Chandrashekar Rao to “participate” in the inaugural event rather than “inviting” him.
The TRS took to Twitter to lash out at the BJP and Modi on this issue. The party claimed that despite the Telangana government having 11 per cent stake in RFCL and offering the Centre all assistance necessary to revive the plant, the Centre had failed to send a “proper invitation” to the CM.
Further, the party took serious objection to the CM’s name appearing on the list behind the PM and Dr Mansukh Mandavya, Union’s minister of fertilisers. Party sources said the the Centre’s communication to the CMO stated, “You are requested to participate in the event.”
The party questioned the need for the PM to inaugurate or dedicate the plant to the country since production had commenced in March last year and approximately 10 lakh tonnes of fertiliser had been produced, the majority of which had been used in Telangana.
The TRS further claimed that the BJP was attempting to use the RFCL event to deflect attention away from the recent Munugode bypoll fiasco as well as from the poachgate controversy in which the BJP allegedly attempted to buy four TRS MLAs before the Munugode bypoll.
The Telangana government, according to the party leaders, purchased land, built roads, spent Rs 100 crore on Mission Bhagiratha to supply drinking water to the plant’s new township, as well as providing Yellampalli project with a reliable power and water supply to support the revival of the plant and production.
An additional Rs 160 crore was spent to create infrastructure facilities at the plant, the party added.
Party sources claimed that the CM never broke protocol and that he did not receive Modi at the airport only when the Prime Minister arrived to take part in ‘private programmes’ such as inauguration of Statue of Equality, the event marking the Indian School of Business anniversary and the BJP’s national executive meetings.
They said as per protocol there was no need for the CM to receive the PM on private visits. They recalled that when the CM tried to welcome and meet the PM when he arrived in Hyderabad in November 2020 to visit Bharat Biotech, the PMO refused the permission. As a result, the CM stayed away from the PM’s private visits.
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