Naidu says PM doesn’t know the bonding between a father and son.
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who launched the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) campaigning in Andhra Pradesh which goes for Assembly elections along with that of Lok Sabha from Kurnool Friday night, called for “sunset” in the ruling TDP, signalling the end of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu’s efforts to promote his only son and IT minister Lokesh as his political heir.
Naidu hit back at the Prime Minister saying that he doesn’t know the beauty of familial values and the bonding between a father and son. “How can we explain to someone who never led a family life or abandoned his family? I invited Lokesh only after he expressed his desire to serve the public, isn’t it cruel that the PM called for my sunset of my son?” asked Naidu addressing rallies in West and East Godavari districts.
The PM ridiculed the slogan of Naidu’s slogan of calling Andhra the “Sunrise State” as it is located on the country’s east coast, saying that: “Chandrababu Naidu is actually working hard for his son’s rise in state politics. We, BJP, alone can make AP a Sunrise state if we come to power. So, do we want a Sunrise or Sunset of son’s rise? This sunset is for TDP,” said Modi amidst applause from the crowds.
The PM was addressing the public meeting at Kurnool, the gateway of Rayala Seema which is considered to be an emerging stronghold of BJP this time. “We wanted to develop Andhra on all fronts, but Babu (Chandrababu Naidu)’s government here hasn’t allowed us to do that and there was total non-cooperation from the state government,” the PM told the well-attended rally.
PM Modi sharpened his attack against Naidu by calling him “U” turn Babu” on every issue, be it accepting a special package for AP in lieu of the special status or joining hands with Congress in Telangana Assembly elections in December and again going it alone in the current elections. “He is also called sticker Babu as he claims his own the Centre sponsored schemes,” the PM said.
Modi squarely blamed Naidu for resorting to large scale corruption and irregularities in both of his flagship projects—the Polavaram irrigation project and Amaravati capital city construction. “When we questioned for bills and proper accounts, he (Naidu) developed a grouse against us and left us without any reason,” the PM told the public.
“This Chowkidar (himself) has granted the national project status to Polavaram and given around Rs 7,000 crore in the last five years, but not much has happened there due to mishandling by the state government,” the PM said. Same is the case with Amaravati city construction which is still in nascent stages, he said. “Your Chowkidar asked for accounts, and Naidu didn’t give it,” the PM said.
The PM played on BJP’s focus on Rayala Seema, a neglected area in Andhra Pradesh. “I am happy to know that I am the first PM in the history to come to Kurnool town. I am your Chowkidar and promise to strive for developing this region on par with other regions in the state,” said the PM, besides listing out several institutions sanctioned to AP, including a south-coast railway zone headquartered at Visakhapatnam.
Naidu was quick to rebut the PM’s charges against him and said that “Modi is like a robot, who doesn’t know the sentiments and familial values and bonding among the family members. His charges against me promoting my son are baseless and only those who love their families can understand me,” Naidu said at a meeting in Kovvur in West Godavari district.
The TDP chief said that the PM was trying hard to make YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy as the CM of Andhra and control the state like Tamil Nadu through AIADMK. “I will not allow this to happen and appeal to people to understand the nexus between the PM and Jagan and Telangana CM KCR,” Naidu said.