Modi promises to nurture Telangana, secure its future

Karimnagar/Nizamabad (Andhra Pradesh), April 22 (IANS) BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday said that he is ready to take the responsibility of nurturing Telangana and securing its future.

Addressing election meetings in Telangana, he called upon people to give power to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) both in Telangana and at the centre for a bright future.

Describing Telangana as a newborn and motherless child, Modi promised to look after and nurture it. He promised to change the destiny of people of Telangana, which is set to become India's 29th state on June 2.

He also assured people that he would solve the problems faced by lakhs of Telangana youth working as labourers in the Gulf countries and also vowed to check the farmers' suicides.

Modi targeted both the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for promoting dynasty politics and said their only aim is to loot.

"A family in Delhi has already destroyed India. Will you commit the same mistake here," he asked the people in an obvious reference to the family of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao.

Modi pointed out that four members of a family are in fray and wondered if they did not find Telangana boys and girls capable of contesting elections.

Chandrasekhara Rao, his daughter, son and nephew are also contesting elections.

"Telangana is infancy stage. It needs special care and love which only BJP can give. It can't be allowed to die by giving it in the hands of others," Modi said.

Urging people to reject Congress, he explained how the party and the Nehru-Gandhi family always insulted sons of soil from Telangana and Seemandhra.

The BJP leader said the elections were important for Telangana people as they have to decide what kind of government they want in Delhi and in Telangana.

Countering the Congress claim that it carved out Telangana state, Modi said it was people of Telangana who achieved the state through their sacrifices.

Claiming that he alone can look after Telangana, he pointed out that he is already taking care of three lakh people of Telangana who are employed in Surat.

At Nizamabad, which was Modi's first election meeting in Telangana, he shared dais with Telugu film actor Pawan Kalyan, who recently floated a new political party Jana Sena and declared his support to Modi.

Pawan, who is younger brother of superstar and now central minister K. Chiranjeevi, appealed to people to vote for BJP and remove Congress to save the country.

Modi said Pawan, who hails from Seemandhra, symbolized the spirit of Telugus and vowed to look after both Telangana and Seemandhra as the two sons.

Targetting the Congress for the manner in which it handled bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, the Gujarat chief minister likened the party to a doctor which delivered a child but killed the mother.

"The Congress killed the mother which is Telugu spirit, language, culture and tradition. I was worried over this. One day Pawan Kalyan came to me and his words touched my heart. If my country has youth like Pawan, the Telugu spirit can't die," he said.

Pawan, whose party has not fielded candidates from any constituency, also targeted the TRS chief for promoting his family. He said if TRS came to power, Telangana would be pushed back by 20 years.

Telangana, which has 119 assembly and 17 Lok Sabha seats, is going to polls April 30. The BJP is fighting the polls in alliance with the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).