KCR challenges Modi for a joint visit to Nizamabad

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday challenged Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a joint visit to Nizamabad to find out if people are facing electricity and water problems as alleged by him.

Reacting to Modi's remark at an election rally in Nizamabad that people in the town lack basic amenities, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief dared him to come with him for a visit.

KCR termed as the "biggest lie" Modi's claim that people of Nizamabad are facing electricity problem. He also remarked that he had never seen such an "ignorant" Prime Minister.

"You are Prime Minister of the country. How can you talk like this?" asked TRS chief while pointing out that Electricity Authority of India has ranked Telangana number one in per capita power consumption in the country.

Addressing election rallies in Mahabubnagar district, KCR claimed that Telangana is the only state supplying uninterrupted round-the-clock free power to farmers. "Even the BJP-ruled states are not doing this," he said.

KCR's daughter and Nizamabad MP K. Kavita also reacted sharply to Modi's speech. "Let him come for a field visit. I wonder if PM is able to do in his constituency Varanasi what we have achieved here," she said.

Modi in his speech poked fun at KCR's promise to turn Nizamabad into London. "While coming here I asked pilot (of the chopper) to take a round to see if he has done this. I found that towns in states with relatively weak economy are better than Nizamabad," he said.

Modi was on a visit to Telangana to campaign for BJP for December 7 elections to Telangana Assembly.

--IANS

ms/prs