KCR, Modi set to go ballistic at each other

Hyderabad: The political heat in Telangana is likely to intensify further, with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to go ballistic at each other, apart from locking horns on several politically emotive and contentious issues, including Ram Mandir, Vastu, sentiment etc.

According to TRS party sources, KCR, who is already going hammer and tongs against the BJP, would be resuming his campaign from Miryalguda on March 29. Incidentally, the same day Prime Minister Modi is also addressing a public meeting in Mahabubnagar.

So, KCR and Modi cannot help trading barbs, considering the strained relations between leaders of the two parties During his last two public meetings, KCR went ballistic and targeted BJP with far more vehemence than his normal diatribe against the Congress.

Noticeably, during the Assembly elections, KCR had characterised the BJP as "not a party at all" and by choice focused his speeches on Congress as well as TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.

The above-turn in his recent approach, reflected by his fierce attacks on the BJP, has led to confusion among BJP leadership, with some leaders wanting to make their attack on the Chief Minister vitriolic.

It may be mentioned here that, responding to the demand of Telangana BJP chief K Lakshman that the Telangana Chief Minister should clarify his stand on the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, KCR had said that the BJP leader should declare whether theirs was a political outfit or a party for religious campaign.

"First answer my question and then I will tell what my stand is on Ram Mandir," he had said.

Should the political parties do politics of Ram Janma Bhoomi, Ravana Janma Bhoomi, Kansa Janma Bhoomi, Surpanakha Janma Bhoomi? There are seers like Sringeri Peetham, Jagatguru Shankaracharyulu, China Jeeyar Swamy to decide which Janma Bhoomi should be at what place.

It is not the work of political parties or Prime Ministers to resolve Janma Bhoomi issues. There is Supreme Court to resolve the issue," observed KCR. KCR had also called the BJP leaders as "duplicate Hindus".

"They talk about Hindus. Are we not Hindus? Are we not going to temples? You are talking as if cursing other religions is Hinduism. Ours is a real Hindutva, not like yours. You are duplicate Hindu Laxman Garu, your games will not work now," he had commented.

Now, in the same tenor, the TRS chief is likely to ask Modi to explain if the BJP had anything to claim as its achievement. The TRS, in contrast, has schemes like 24-hour power supply, Rythu Bandu, Rythu Beema etc.

Some of the BJP leaders are a bit cautious on religious issues. This section of leaders opines that the party could not get the desired results even after taking the help of Swamy Paripoornananda, who had campaigned for the party intensively.

However, another section of leaders wants the party to go fiercely against the TRS chief as they believe that the flip-flop in approach on any issue would not help the party.

As matters have come to a head, BJP leaders say much depends on how the Chief Minister goes to the town in the next public meeting.