TRS, BJP slug it out on Twitter as KCR gives PM Modi's state tour a miss

KCR was not present at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, to receive the Prime Minister on his arrival. Instead, Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav was deputed to receive and send off the Prime Minister upon his arrival and departure.

Hyderabad: Telangana Rashtra Samithi president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's conspicuous absence during Prime Minister Narenra Modi's tour on Saturday has triggered a virtaul war on the social media between the TRS and the state BJP.

PM Modi was in the state to inaugurate the golden jubilee celebrations of the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru and unveiling of the ‘Statue of Equality,’ of 11th Vaishnavaite saint Sri Ramanujacharya at Sriramanagaram. KCR was not present at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad, to receive the Prime Minister. Instead, state minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav was deputed to receive and see off the Prime Minister on his arrival and departure.

Whle the TRS cited “illness” for KCR's absence, his opponents alleged that the reson behind CM KCR's non participation in Modi's visit was a “political strategy”. The state BJP tweeted that KCR is “repeatedly insulting the constitution” calling it “shameful not to follow the protocol”. But TRS while responding to the BJP's allegation maintained that the CM was “not in good health, and according central home ministry guidelines there is no such protocal that CM should participate in PM's private visits”.

The ruling party said that the BJP was “misleading the people with its cheap campaign methods”. On a day when PM Modi inaugurated the 'Statue of Equality', the TRS further upped the ante on the social media war by trending 'Equality for Telangana' hashtag on Twitter. TRS MPs, Ministers and other leaders had made over 20,000 tweets with Equality for Telangana hashtag.

The tweets flagged that the central government is “showing negligence and discrimination against Telangana in various fields”. They said there was “injustice in the budget allocations, state separation guarantees and national project status”. Minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao tweeted that the Central govt is “not responding to letters sent by state ministers on public issues”.

Minister Niranjan Reddy said that the BJP was “discriminating against the agricultural and industrial sector in Telangana”. Minister Satyavathi Rathode questioned why the Medaram Sammakka-Saralamma Jatara was “not recognized as a national festival” even as Minister Sabita Indrareddy questioned why “Navodaya Vidyalayas were allotted to other states”. Minister Mahmood Ali questioned why Telangana has “not got the priority compared to BJP-ruled states in allocating funds”.

MP Ranjith Reddy, MLA Jogu Ramanna and others too took to Twitter with the hashtag. In the morning, some youngsters displayed 'Equality for Telangana' at TankBund in Hyderabad.