PM Modi invokes NTR's legacy, questions Naidu's move to align with Congress

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Sunday invoked the legacy of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama Rao to question TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu's move to align with the Congress, saying NTR's "atma" would be "hurt" on seeing this.

Veterans like Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder NTR, as he is addressed, were "insulted' by the arrogance of the "naamdars (famous)" of the Delhi family, Modi said in an apparent reference to the Congress party.

Addressing a BJP rally here, Modi questioned the rationale behind Naidu's plan to tie up with Congress, reminding him that his party's very existence was born out of the 'insult' meted out to his father-in-law by the grand old party.

In an apparent reference to the Congress, Modi said NTR used to call 'dusht' (evil) those 'insulting' Andhra Pradesh and asked why Naidu was hobnobbing with such persons today.

Modi's scathing remarks came at the meeting attended by senior party leaders, including N T Ramarao's daughter D Purandeswari, who had quit Congress to join BJP in 2014.

"The arrogance of the naamdar family in Delhi has always insulted big leaders in states. During that course of insult, NTR had decided to make make Andhra Pradesh Congress-mukt and therefore TDP came to existence."

"Today, the TDP leader (Naidu) who should have strived for a Congress-mukt Bharat, who had to crush the arrogance of the naamdaars, has sided with them," Modi said.

"Then, NT Ramarao used to call those insulting Andhra Pradesh as dusht (evil). Today, the chief minister has made them friends. Wherever NTR is today, we can assume how much his atma (soul) would have been hurt seeing this," Modi said.

Modi charged that though Naidu claimed to have inherited the legacy of NTR and promised to fulfil his dreams, he had not lived up to those assurances.

"Is he respecting NTR today...what is the compulsion that they have surrendered before the naamdar?. What is the pressure that he has forgotten his party's very history?," Modi said in his broadside against Naidu.

Taking a swipe at Naidu and his son Lokesh, Modi described the TDP rule in the state as "father-son government."

At a particular juncture of his speech, he addressed Naidu as "N Lokesh's father."

He also said Naidu promised the sunrise of Andhra Pradesh but was fixated with the rise of his own son Lokesh.