Modi: UPA govt has insulted Telugu people

Invoking Telugu pride, BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi on Thursday alleged that the UPA government has insulted Telugu people often and divided Andhra Pradesh without taking people into confidence.

“The government of the mother and son and the Congress party in Delhi insulted Telugu people whenever an opportunity came. They made Seemandhra and Telangana but they did not take people here into confidence,” Mr. Modi said kicking off a whirlwind campaign tour of Seemandhra at Madaneapalle in Chitoor district.

“The mother and son government fixed June 2 as the appointed date (when the two states come into existence) as it is also the date of Italy’s formation day,” he claimed.

Alleging that the country has become ‘scam India’ under the ‘mother and son government’, the 63-year-old BJP leader said, the nation should now become a “Scheme India” with welfare and development schemes being implemented for the people.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, actor-turned politician Pawan Kalyan are part of Mr. Modi’s campaigning tour.

Mr. Modi launched TDP-BJP combine’s poll campaign in the temple town of Tirupati, near here, by addressing a rally on Wednesday night.

Reaching out to the Seemandhra voters, the Gujarat Chief Minister said the choice for them is between a ‘Scam Andhra’ and ‘Swarna Andhra (Golden Andhra)’.

Highlighting that he and Mr. Naidu stood for development, Mr. Modi said the TDP-BJP combine would usher in a new wave of development for residuary Andhra Pradesh.

Noting that the BJP has promised to set up 100 smart cities across the country, he said Seemandhra would get a due share in the plan.