Is Modi no match for KCR’s stature?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Telangana on Saturday to take part in official programs in Warangal, including a foundation-laying ceremony for various development initiatives in the state.

As per protocol, the Prime Minister is expected to attend the Prime Minister’s official functions. However, since September 2021, KCR has been violating this protocol for political reasons.

After the official events, Modi also attended a political program organized by his party. He addressed a large public meeting of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Warangal.

While it is not uncommon for a PM to avoid attending programs organized by other parties, in his speech the PM made serious allegations of corruption, family rule, leaks of TSPSC question papers and more against the KCR and the BRS government.

KCR is committed to providing a response to these allegations, as they were only made by the Chief Minister. One cannot simply ignore the claims made by a leader of prime ministerial stature.

Modi made similar allegations against Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel just a day earlier. Baghel reacted forcefully to the allegations and gave a strong opposition to Modi.

However, in the case of the KCR, he has been given the task of making an appropriate response to Modi to his son KTR, his nephew Harish Rao, other ministers in his cabinet, party MPs, MLAs and MLCs.

After Modi’s tour ended, KCR addressed a meeting in Telangana Bhavan on Saturday evening. He spoke to party leaders and workers from Maharashtra for about an hour, but did not mention Modi by name or condemn the allegations made by the prime minister.

This sparked a debate in political circles about whether the status of the prime minister is lower than that of the prime minister.

In any case, the KCR has been constantly avoiding the official programs of the Prime Minister, and it does not even respond to grave allegations made publicly by PM Modi.

This raises questions as to whether PM Modi’s standing is not equal to that of CM KCR in terms of the need to respond, and whether KCR perceives it as such.