‘Modi No Entry’ boards come up in Hyderabad a day before PM’s visit

‘Anti-Modi rhetoric’ in Telangana has suddenly taken the form of ‘Go Back Modi’ campaign ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ramagundam on Saturday. The Prime Minister is visiting the state to dedicate to the nation the Ramagundam fertilizer plant in Peddapalli district, which was revived after decades of closure.

As usual, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is skipping the programme. This is for the third time that KCR is distancing himself from the PM’s visit.

‘Meaningless visit’

The TRS, the Left parties and affiliate organisations are questioning the purpose of PM Modi’s visit, stating that the inauguration of a plant that went into commercial production a year ago is meaningless. They called it a publicity gimmick of the PM and reminded him of the status of the assurances given to Telangana people at the time of the creation of the state.

Also read: Munugode poll result adds fuel to KCR-Tamilisai faceoff in Telangana

This is for the first time that the very visit of the PM has been called into question in the state. Many civic and student organisations, workers’ unions and associations of intellectuals have openly expressed the view that PM Modi has no moral right to visit the state as he could not fulfill any of the assurances incorporated in the Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act 2014.

‘Modi No Entry’ flex-boards have sprung up at important junctions in Hyderabad. Demanding the rollback of 5 per cent GST on handloom products, the Telangana Cheneta Youth Force displayed the ‘Modi No Entry’ boards in the capital. The organisation had also campaigned for TRS on the same issue in the Munugode by-election as well.

Various protests

Workers of Singareni Colleries Company Limited (SCCL) too staged demonstrations in Godavarikhani – who have been opposing the proposed disinvestment of coal mines — against the PM’s visit. The Centre is mulling disinvesting its 49-per cent stake in the SCCL, which owns the coal mines of Telangana.  They have planned to stage a protest in Ramagundam as well tomorrow. Similarly, State Power Employees Association has raised a banner of revolt against the Electricity (Amendment Bill) 2022.

In many towns across Telangana, effigies of PM Modi were burned and slogans like ‘Modi Go Back’ were raised. Representatives of Telangana JAC, BC Jana Sabha, Telangana Madiga JAC, BC Samkshema Sangham, Telangana Golla-Kuruam Sangham and Girijana JAC vowed to block the PM’s programme on November 12.

“In the past eight years, PM Modi has visited Telangana nine times. Before visiting the state 10th time, the PM should make public what he had done for the Telangana state,” the leaders of some organizations demanded.

Also read: Telangana MLAs’ bribery case: Leaked clip adds another twist

As many as 64 professors from various state universities, poets, and intellectuals have in an open letter demanded the PM to make his stand clear on the unkept promises before visiting the state. Citing the cases of Bayyaram steel and Kazipet coach factory and tribal university, which have not come up despite the fact that the state government had already allotted the land, the intellectuals expressed displeasure over the way injustice was being meted out to Telangana.

TRS-Left bonhomie

Thanks to the newfound bonhomie between the ruling TRS and Left parties, the streets of many Telangana towns have once again become the stage for protests. Chief Minister KCR, before the launch of Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS), invited the Left parties to join his struggle against PM Modi’s communal and anti-federal politics, and the CPI and the CPI(M) embraced him with great gusto. They campaigned for the TRS candidate in the Munugode by-election which, many believe, played a major role in bailing the TRS candidate out of the tough fight given by the BJP.

The TRS-Left friendship is now on full display during the protests against Modi’s visit. TRS senior leader and vice-chairman of the state planning board, B Vinod Kumar, said that TRS was not directly involved in agitations against Modi’s visit.

“Workers of Singareni coal mines, electricity employees and students and youth are opposing PM Modi’s visit. They have their own grievances. Singareni workers are opposing the disinvestment of the Centre’s share. Electricity employees are opposing the Centre’s new power bill. Youth are demanding the promised jobs and assured central educational institutes such as Girijan University and Navodaya schools,” he said.

TRS behind protests: BJP

Disagreeing with the TRS view, BJP MLA Eatala Rajender said the protests were instigated by the ruling party. He cautioned the Left parties against becoming pawns in the hands of KCR.

Also read: KCR seeks to unite opposition CMs embroiled in tiff with governors

TRS is trying to create problems for the PM’s visit through the Left parties, he said. “The CPI and the CPI(M) should not forget that KCR has killed the fighting spirit of Telangana people. He also ensured that there is no opposition in the assembly by engineering defections. The Left should not fall prey to KCR’s politics of opportunism,” he said.

One should not forget that the PM is inaugurating a factory that is beneficial to the farmers of the state and KCR is trying to obstruct PM’s message to the farmers, Eatala added.