‘Patently Untrue’: MoS Jitendra Singh Debunks Claims of Telangana CM Being ‘Insulted’ by PMO

Union minister of state Jitendra Singh slammed KT Rama Rao, Telangana chief minister’s son, who has reportedly claimed that his father was told to stay away from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s events in Hyderabad. Singh took to Twitter to lash out at chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his son, saying this was “patently untrue”.

“According to some media reports, the son of Telangana CM has claimed that PMO sent a message that Shri KCR should not be a part of PM’s programs when he visited Hyderabad. This is patently untrue. No such message was sent by the PMO,” Singh tweeted.

Explaining his father’s absence at two major events when the prime minister visited the state capital, Rama Rao had said in both cases the prime minister’s office (PMO) had sent a message beforehand saying the CM “should not come”.

Singh’s take on the matter differed from Rama Rao’s. Referring to PM Modi’s visit to Hyderabad on February 5, the MoS said the chief minister’s office had sent word to the PMO that KCR was unwell and would not be attending the event.

“Infact, the CM of Telangana was expected at the events on 5th February when PM visited Hyderabad. It was the CM’s office which informed the PMO that the CM was not feeling well and hence would not be attending,” Singh tweeted.

The Telangana CM was absent for the inauguration of Ramanujacharya’s Statue of Equality in February, for which he attracted much criticism. He also did not receive and personally host PM Modi when he arrived at Hyderabad for the event. He was also absent when Modi visited Bharat Biotech in November last year.

Many critics had termed KCR’s absence from these events as a “blatant violation of protocol”. But, Rama Rao countered this by saying the PMO had “insulted” and “humiliated” the CM by not inviting him to these events. “Is it not protocol violations on the part of the PMO and humiliation of a chief minister by a Prime Minister? Is that not an insult?” he had asked.

He had also accused union minister Piyush Goyal of “poking fun” at the state. Rama Rao had said central ministers as well as the prime minister continued to insult Telangana despite it being a “performing state”.

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