Rao hits out at Modi; accuses him of lying on Central funds

In a scathing attack on the Prime Minister, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao Tuesday accused him of lying on central allocation to the state and said his campaign speech was "below the level of a sarpanch". Rao also said he does not not have a desire to be the Prime Minister.

He, however, said he would fight for the country's interests and to "change the country's direction" if he had the blessings of the people. Claiming that a qualitative change needed to come about in the country in governance and policies, he favoured a "Congress-mukt, BJP-mukt Bharat".

The federal front, an alliance of regional parties, should form the government at the Centre, he said. Rao, president of ruling TRS in Telangana, addressed election rallies at Warangal and Bhongir on Tuesday.

Taking exception to Modi's criticism against him that he consulted astrologers, the TRS president asked "if this is what the Premier should talk about?. Alleging that the Prime Minister did not speak the truth about allocation of funds to the state, Rao, also referred to as KCR by many, demanded that Modi apologise to the people.

"What does Narendra Modiji speak? KCR sees horoscope... Is this what is to be spoken, for the Prime Minister to speak?" he asked. "Should persons running the politics of the country speak like this? In this country, the Prime Minister speaks going below the level of a sarpanch," he said.

Rao, speaking at an election rally at Warangal, was alluding to Modi's comments on him at a rally in Telangana last week, where he said that Rao consulted astrologers, which affected governance. "Narendra Modi ji, you are speaking absolute lies today.

(You) are bragging that you are giving Rs 35,000 crore (to Telangana). You did not give Rs 35,000 crore. My brothers and sisters should know. Delhi is not taking care of us. We are taking care of Delhi," he said. Telangana gives about Rs one lakh crore to the Centre annually in the form of customs duty, income tax, the centre's share in GST and others, he said.

What Telangana gets from Delhi is only Rs 24,000 crore, he said. BJP leaders should answer if Telangana is surviving on Central funds, he said.

Telangana is among five-six states that support the country, he claimed. Rao said he does not fault the Centre over using the funds.

"You are taking and using Rs 75,000 crores of income generated from our state. We are not saying it is wrong. But lying after coming here,speaking unwanted things...don't speak like that. I demand that the Prime Minister apologise to the Telangana people. I request (Modi) not to speak such lies," he said. Saying that both Congress and BJP which does 'golmaal' (bungling) are not useful to the country, he said a non-Congress, non-BJP federal front government should come to power at the Centre.

The national parties do not address issues like farmers not getting remunerative prices and problem with Pakistan, but does politics in states, he alleged. "They indulge in a war of words as if someone else is responsible for the problems in the country though it is they who ruled the country for 66 years after Independence, he alleged.

Citing media reports, he said non-Congress, non-BJP parties would come to power at the Centre. He alleged that both Congress and BJP had failed to ensure the country's development as it should have been.

Referring to the comments of a state minister that those who addressed at the venue in Warangal went on to become Prime Minister, he said he has no desire to be PM. "I don't have the desire to be Prime Minister".

Attacking the BJP, he asked why political leaders should talk about issues like Ram Janmabhoomi. Religious gurus and pontiffs would talk about such issues, he said..