‘White lies’: BRS after Modi’s claim of rejecting KCR request to join NDA

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim of rebuffing the party’s request to join the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) as a “white lie”.

Reacting to Modi’s remarks, Telangana minister KT Rama Rao later told reporters that what he found amusing “are the white lies” of the prime minister, which is why the BJP is called the “biggest jhoot (lie) factory”.

“Were we bitten by a mad dog that we wanted to join the NDA? All the parties are leaving NDA nowadays. Shiv Sena has left you (NDA). Janata Dal (U) has left you. Telugu Desam Party has left you. Shiromani Akali Dal has left you. Who is there with you now? Besides CBI, IT, and ED, who is there in India now?” he remarked.

Modi’s “secret”

Modi said at a public meeting in Nizamabad on Tuesday that the BRS was reeling under a rejection of the party’s interest in being a part of the NDA. Modi claimed he had cited the misdeeds of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and rejected his request to join the NDA after the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation elections in 2020.

“For the first time, I am going to reveal a secret. I have come today to tell the 100 per cent truth. When Hyderabad Municipal Corporation polls were held, the BJP won 40-45 seats (48). Nobody got a majority. KCR needed support,” Modi said.

“...after the Hyderabad polls, he (KCR) came to Delhi to meet me...he told me that ‘the country is progressing under your leadership. We also want to be part of the NDA. Make us part of the NDA.’ I said, what next? ‘Support us in Hyderabad Municipal Corporation.’ I told KCR, ‘Your deeds are such that Modi cannot join with you’,” he said.

Modi said he had “rejected KCR’s entry into NDA” even if it meant the BJP sitting in the Opposition in GHMC. He also claimed that KCR, who met him later, had told him that he would like to hand over the mantle to his son Rama Rao and requested him to bless Rama Rao.

Modi said he had told KCR that this is a democratic country and who was he to make his son Rama Rao “occupy the throne”? “It is the Telangana people who will decide about it,” the PM apparently said. “That was the last day. After that, he has not been able to look me in the eye,” Modi said, adding that no corrupt person will be able to sit in his company.

Modi attacks Congress too

With the state elections in Telangana likely to be announced shortly, the ruling BRS is hoping to make a comeback for the third consecutive term. During his second visit to Telangana in the last three days, PM Modi has raised the pitch against BRS on multiple fronts including corruption and dynastic politics.

The ruling BRS enjoys a brute majority with over 100 representatives in a 119-member state Assembly. The BJP, Congress and Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM separately have single-digit representation in the House.

In his address on Tuesday, PM Modi attacked the Congress over its alleged stance of “jitni abadi, utna haq” (rights proportional to population). He said the grand old party should clarify if it is against minorities and south India.

“The Congress has now started speaking in a new language in its hunger for power. Nowadays, they are saying ‘jitni aabadi, utna haq’ (rights proportional to the population). I would like to ask whoever has given them this slogan whether they are raising questions on the basic policies of Congress. When you say ‘jitni aabadi, utna haq’, it means Congress should now state are you against minorities, Congress should clarify are you against South India,” he said.

Modi said he would prove that the new thinking of the Congress would do injustice to South India and was against the minorities.

“Congress made pact with BRS”

Urging the Telangana people to keep faith in him for five years, he said he would bring back what the other parties have looted from people. He accused the Congress and BRS of making tall promises before elections and not fulfilling them later.

Alleging that the Congress and its “arrogant” INDIA allies had blocked the Women’s Reservation Bill for the past 30 years, he said the parties had to support it out of compulsion in Parliament.

He further alleged that the BRS had supported the Congress in the Karnataka elections.

“The Congress has made a pact with BRS behind the curtains. In the Karnataka elections, BRS had supported Congress a lot. And now, Congress is now repaying the debt in the elections. The money looted from the people of Telangana was given to the Congress in Karnataka so that Congress can win there and later win in Telangana with it. This is the game played by the BRS,” he said.

(With agency inputs)