Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao remained a no-show for PM Modi's big events in the state today, including the inauguration of the Begumpet airport.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday slammed opposition parties who approached the Supreme Court alleging arbitrary use of central probe agencies against rival leaders and said that the apex court gave them a “jolt” by refusing to entertain their plea.
“A few days ago some political parties went to the court seeking protection that no one should seek to inquire about our books filled with corruption… Those trying to escape from their own corrupt acts sought protection from the court but it gave them a jolt and sent them back,” the prime minister, without taking any names, said during a public meeting in Hyderabad.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justice J B Pardiwala had on April 5 expressed disinclination to entertain the Opposition’s petition, saying courts are there for taking up the grievances of political leaders as they do for common citizens. It observed that politicians do not have "higher immunity".
PM Modi reached the city this afternoon to flag off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express train. He was also there for the grand inauguration of the Begumpet airport. Notably, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao skipped all of the PM's programmes.
Hitting out the KCR government in Telangana, the prime minister said he was “pained” to see the “non-cooperation” of state government in Centre's projects. “This is affecting the dreams of people of Telangana,” he said.
He also accused KCR’s party -- Bharat Rashtra Samithi -- of supporting ‘parivarvaad'. "Handful of people who encourage 'parivarvaad' are trying to see where they can reap benefits from projects being implemented for the people of Telangana," the PM said and added that ‘parivarvaad' and corruption were not different.
'Parivarvaad' was looting even the ration given to the poor people in Telangana, he alleged and stressed the state's progress was important for overall national growth.
Modi was in the city to inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of projects worth over Rs 11,300 crore in Telangana, besides flagging off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express.
He boarded the stationary train at the railway station and interacted with school children. The train is expected to reduce the travel time between Secunderabad in Telangana and Tirupati in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh by almost three and half hours.
PM Modi also flagged off the Chennai-Coimbatore Vande Bharat Express train earlier today. The function was held at the Dr MGR Chennai Central Railway Station, where the PM inaugurated the special train, loaded with modern features and passenger amenities.