Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao was not present at the Hyderabad airport to receive Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. This is the second time in the past few months that the CM had skipped receiving the PM at the airport.
The PM was in the city to kickstart the 50th-anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT and to dedicate to the nation the 'Statue of Equality' commemorating the 11th-century Bhakti saint Sri Ramanujacharya. At the airport, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, Union Minister for Tourism G Kishan Reddy, and Telangana Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav were present among other noted VIPs.
News agency PTI quoted sources at Pragati Bhavan, Rao’s official residence that the Chief Minister was not well as he “is suffering from fever”. He, however, would attend the program of the dedication of 'Statue of Equality' in the evening.
A communication from the CMO 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.
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KCR's tussle with PM Modi - Explained in 5 points
- Telangana CM KCR on Tuesday had lashed out at the PM Modi-led govt at the center and said that the Union Budget has deeply disappointed various sections of society, including SCs, STs, backward classes, the farming community, and the salaried class, and that it is a "useless and purposeless budget".
- The CM had also skipped receiving the PM at the airport on November 28, 2020, when the latter had arrived in the state to inspect the Covid-19 vaccine-making facility at Bharat Biotech in Genome Valley.
- KCR had also skipped a video conference with the PM on the Covid-19 review. In the meeting with other CMs, KCR deputed health minister T Harish Rao and chief secretary Somesh Kumar to attend the meeting instead.
- KCR had also favored drafting a new Constitution in the wake of successive Central governments allegedly taking away the powers of States and others.
- Telangana's ruling party TRS has been critical of the central government's PSU disinvestment and other policies. The TRS and the BJP in the state have been engaged in a bitter war of words over paddy procurement in the state and other issues.
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Accusing the PM of 'copying schemes'
KCR had pointed out multiple times that the schemes that were introduced by the TRS government in the state were copied by the Central government. Schemes like Rythu Bandhu for farmers, Mission Bhagiratha for tap supply in every home, and Aarogyasri health insurance have been made Kisan Samman, Jal Jeevan, and Ayushman Bharat, he said.
KCR meets left leaders, a probable alliance?
TRS president and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao also had held separate meetings with senior leaders of the CPI(M) and CPI and discussed finding common ground in opposition to the Centre’s PSU disinvestment and other policies.
CPI state secretary Chada Venkat Reddy said the meetings took place at the invitation of the Chief Minister and Rao proposed working together regarding the central government's public sector disinvestment programs among other issues and sought the party’s opinion. Rao said the TRS will get back after duly considering the issue, the CPI leader said earlier.
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