Congress questions KCR’s silence over Modi’s criticism on bifurcation

Hyderabad:

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has come under attack from the opposition over his silence on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh.

Leader of opposition in Telangana legislative Council Mohammad Ali Shabbir charged KCR with mortgaging the self respect of Telangana people with Modi.

“KCR should apologise to the people,” he demanded.

Shabbir was referring to Modi’s speech at the foundation-stone laying ceremony of new AP capital Amaravati on Thursday, where he lashed out at Congress for the hasty division of Andhra Pradesh, in the presence of KCR.

“KCR’s silence over the criticism of the bifurcation was an insult to the people who laid down their lives for Telangana state,” he said.

Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad yesterday, Shabbir and another Congress leader, P. Sudhakar Reddy, said Modi’s speech was disappointing for the people of Andhra Pradesh as he remained silent on the issue of special status and package to the state.

On KCR attending the foundation ceremony, the Congress leaders said that he and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had entered into a secret deal over the cash for vote scam and telephone tapping scandal. “We will soon expose the mediator behind the deal,” Reddy said.

Meanwhile, the union minister for urban development M. Venkaiah Naidu yesterday praised the presence of KCR’s presence at Thursday’s event and said that cordial relations between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana will be in the interest of development. He said that the friendship and brotherly relations between the two states could be strengthened further if both chief ministers take the initiative to sort out the problems between the two states.

He also said that the Amaravati will be included in the lists of cities chosen under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).

After participating in ground breaking ceremony for the Swarna Bharati Trust building in Shamshabad yesterday, Venkaiah Naidu told reporters that all the promises made to Andhra Pradesh will be fulfilled but it will take some time. “Doing justice to Andhra Pradesh is a continuous process,” he said.

The central government has decided to release funds of Rs 6.63 billion (Dh118 million) for Andhra Pradesh under the Mission for 26 cities and towns.

Rs 6.46 billion will be spent on improving the drinking water supply system and Rs170 million will be spent on parks.

Meanwhile, Modi’s failure to announce special status for Andhra Pradesh yesterday provoked strong protest from opposition parties.