Telangana CM gives Modi's visit a miss, again

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Thursday morning left for Bengaluru, just hours ahead of the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hyderabad.

This is the second time in the last four months that KCR has avoided meeting Modi during his visit to Hyderabad.

Earlier in February, PM was here to unveil the Statue of Equality, a giant statue of saint Ramanujacharya, near here. Official sources then said Rao could not receive the PM as he was 'unwell'.

Rao called on former Prime Minister and JDS Supremo HD Deve Gowda in the Karnataka capital and discussed national politics.

"Hon'ble CM of Telangana Shri K. Chandrashekhar Rao visited me at my residence, today. We exchanged views on various topics of national importance. It was a candid and cordial meeting," Deve Gowda tweeted after the meeting.

Gowda's son and former Karnataka chief minister H D Kumaraswamy and grandson Nikhil Kumaraswamy were amomg those present during the meeting at Gowda's Padmanabhanagar residence.

Recently, KCR, as he is popularly known, undertook a tour to attend national-level political and social programmes.

As part of that, he had called on Delhi and Punjab Chief Ministers Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann respectively.

In Chandigarh, he offered financial assistance to families of farmers who laid down their lives during the nationwide farmers' agitation against the farm laws.

Modi landed in the State capital this afternoon to participate in the 20th year celebrations of the Indian School of Business.

He addressed BJP leaders and cadre also at the Begumpet Airport where he was accorded a rousing reception upon his arrival. He lambasted "family-run parties" describing them as “enemies of the country.”

The PM later attended the graduation ceremony of the Post Graduate Programme class of 2022 of ISB and addressed the students.