Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao has to be reminded that NITI Aayog is working towards taking the country forward, adding that KCR does not believe in discussion on the development of the country and the states.
The comment by the senior minister came soon after Telangana CM, through a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Saturday said that he will be boycotting the seventh Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, scheduled to be held on 7 August, as a mark of protest against in what he termed as the Centre’s blatant discrimination against states including Telangana. Rao further alleged that the Centre is not treating states as equal partners in efforts to make India a developed country.
Rao said, “As a mark of serious protest against the Government of India, I am boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi because the cooperative federalism and the team India spirit is totally lost by the central government and NITI Aayog.”
The TRS chief alleged the Centre is running a “dictatorship” and is imposing schemes which are undesirable to the states. He said the GST imposed on handloom products, milk and crematorium should be withdrawn.
“His views reflect that he is not interested in the development of his state, his ward. He thinks himself to be too great to attend it: Union Minister Piyush Goyal on CM Telangana KCR’s refusal to attend NITI Aayog meeting,” minister Goyal told ANI.
“He is forgetting that NITI Aayog is working towards taking the country forward… he doesn’t want it to happen. He’s become the ‘nizam’ of Telangana, does not believe in discussion on the development of country and state.”
BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP K. Laxman also slammed Rao for boycotting the NITI Aayog meeting stating that “it will be a big loss for the state”. Laxman said, “This is most unfortunate politics as it has nothing to do with Niti Aayog. Boycotting the meeting will not cause loss to him or his family but it is a big loss for the state.”
He further said that being a Chief Minister, KCR should attend the meeting to discuss and raise issues related to the state. “Niti Aayog was formed so that chief ministers can discuss issues, can give their advice and ask questions from the government. Now you left this opportunity.KCR should come to the meeting and discuss whatever KCR had said in front of the media,” said Laxman.
The BJP leader said that the people of Telangana are fed up with the TRS government and they think that BJP is the only alternative for Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). “We have ample time to discuss here and now KCR is running from the meeting to cover up his failures. He is trying to divert the attention of the people by boycotting NITI Aayog. Now Telangana people are fed up with the TRS government and understand that only BJP is a reliable party who thinks about people welfare and TRS only alternative is BJP,” he added.