In a scathing attack on his former ally and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused him of back stabbing his late father-in-law N T Rama Rao at Guntur on Sunday.
Modi was visiting the state for the first time after Naidu's Telugu Desam Party pulled out of the BJP-led NDA government last year.
"Chandrababu Naidu has claimed he is senior to me, but he is senior in switching sides and deceiving his father-in-law (N T Rama Rao)," said Modi.
Addressing a rally at Guntur, Modi came down heavily on Naidu for aligning with the Congress, saying the former chief minister and Naidu's father-in-law late NT Rama Rao (NTR) had launched the party to make Andhra Pradesh "Congress-mukt" after he was a victim of its 'arrogance.'
Naidu was indeed a senior to him, but only in losing elections, switching alliances and ditching his father-in-law NT Rama Rao, Modi said at the public rally.
"He keeps reminding me he is senior. There is no debate in this. I have never shown any disrespect to you since you are a senior. You are a senior in changing alliances," he said.
"Further, Naidu was senior in embracing tomorrow those whom he would abuse today," he added.
Modi asked where are the new projects that Naidu had assured for the poor. The Prime Minister said his government is working consistently to make India a clean fuel economy and several projects have been initiated in that direction.
"AP CM Chandrababu Naidu assured new projects for the poor but has only replicated NDA government's programmes," said Modi.
"Our government is continuously working to make India a clean fuel economy and several projects have been initiated in this direction," he added.
He said the NDA government is building oil reserves at different locations to meet oil and gas requirements in difficult times.
Modi launched several development projects in Guntur amid protests staged across the state against his visit by the TDP workers.
He unveiled plaques to formally unveil the projects which have come up or would be built in different parts of the state.
He dedicated the 1.33 million metric tonnes of Visakhapatnam Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) facility of the Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL) built at a cost of Rs 1,178 crore.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited's Vashishta and S1 development project at Amalapuram on the Krishna-Godavari Offshore Basin.
Modi also laid the foundation stone for setting up of a new terminal of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) at Krishnapatnam. It will be built at a cost of Rs 700 crore.
Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders received Modi at the Gannavaram Airport at Vijayawada earlier in the day. Giving protocol a go-by, none of the state ministers turned up at the airport to formally receive the Prime Minister, who is on an official-cum-political visit. He later flew in a helicopter to Guntur.
Meanwhile, wearing black dresses and carrying black flags, demonstrators staged protests and sit-ins across the state reiterating their demands for a Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh.
Leaders of the Left parties also held protests in Guntur. They threatened to disrupt Modi's rally over his "betrayal" of the state.
(With inputs from Agencies)
