Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise claim that he had rejected Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao’s request to join the BJP-led NDA drew a sharp reaction from the latter’s son, K.T. Rama Rao, who said the ruling coalition at the Centre is like a sinking ship.
Rama Rao, a minister in the KCR cabinet and the working president of the ruling BRS party, took a sarcastic jibe at Modi’s remarks and said the prime minister would become a "great script writer and storyteller" and that he may also win an Oscar Award.
"Were we bitten by a mad dog? Why would we want to join NDA when parties are leaving it. It is a sinking ship. The Shiv Sena has left you. Janata Dal (U) has left you. Telugu Desam has left you. Shiromani Akali Dal has left you. Who is there with you now except CBI, IT and the ED?," the BRS leader said.
Rama Rao further asserted that his father is a leader and not a cheater and that he will win for the third time in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Retorting to the corruption charges raised by Modi against the state government, Rama Rao asked what happened to the cases that were filed against some of the leaders who later joined the BJP.
"I wanted to remind the Prime Minister what happened to the case that was filed against Himanta Biswa (Assam Chief Minister). Once he joined your party. The case is gone," he said.
Earlier, addressing a rally in Nizamabad, Modi had said KCR (as Chandrashekhar Rao is popularly known) had expressed his desire to join the National Democratic Alliance, but changed his mind after his proposal was rejected.
Modi also said that the BRS chief had made multiple attempts to secure BJP’s support after the Hyderabad Municipal Election where the saffron party won 48 seats.
“I am going to tell you a secret. When BJP won 48 seats in the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation election, KCR (as Rao is popularly known) needed our support. Before this election, he used to welcome me at the airport, but later suddenly he stopped doing so,” the prime minister said.
“KCR came to meet me in Delhi…he started telling me that the country is progressing under your leadership, and said that he wanted to join the NDA. He also asked me to extend support to him. I told him (KCR) that due to his ‘deeds’ Modi cannot associate with him,” he further said.