Even Modi did not respond to Pulwama like we did, says KTR

TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has begun the party’s Lok Sabha elections campaign with hopes of playing a significant role in national politics. With TRS aiming to win 16 of the 17 LS seats in Telangana, Sushil Rao spoke to party working president, KT Rama Rao, on a range of issues. Excerpts:

If in the 2018 assembly elections, people of Telangana looked at the schemes introduced by the state government and voted, what are they looking at now to vote in the LS polls?

The Telangana government’s flagship programmes under the leadership of KCR garu have been accepted and lapped up, and the TRS got 50% vote share. But it is also a fact that the central government has copied our schemes. Pradhan Mantri Kishan Samman Yojana as they call it, is nothing but Rythu Bandhu. This also speaks for the fact that KCR’s thought leadership has become acceptable to the government in Delhi. For the Centre’s Ayushman Bharat Yojana, it is the Telangana government’s Arogyasri Trust that helped the government of India develop the software. So, it is a fact that our leader KCR has been able to inspire the rest of the country. As a leader who has brought a perceptible change in Telangana in the four-and-half years, his leadership has transcended our state boundaries with Odisha, Jharkhand, and also West Bengal implementing Rythu Bandhu with their own names to the scheme. As many as 12 states are studying Mission Bhagiratha. UNDP has appreciated Mission Kakatiyia. The Telangana government’s schemes have a larger national impact.

Can you elaborate on that?

When Pulwama happened, show me one leader in the country including Prime Minister Narendra Modi who responded like KCR. In Telangana, we suspended all our political activity for a week, and we mourned with the rest of the country. We stood by the government and we did not comment on the government. When Pulwama happened, KCR was the only leader who stood up without any drama, without any hype, without any emotional kind of a hyperbole. We stood by our soldiers and announced a compensation of Rs 25 lakh to their kin. Show me one chief minister who did this in the country.

KCR recently faulted the Centre for its handling of Pakistan. What then should have been the approach?

You cannot have a knee-jerk reaction in this country. PM Modi extended an olive branch to Pakistan. He stopped by in Pakistan to attend a function in the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s family. I don’t find fault with this. At the same time, you have to be consistent in foreign policy, especially in dealing with somebody as tricky as Pakistan. You must have a consistency in your policy towards Pakistan. Foreign policy is not a soap opera that you should continue to do something every single day and week. It is more about a consistent policy vis-à-vis Pakistan, China, Saarc countries, and other countries.

Does the TRS have an opinion on how the situation in J&K should be handled?

Both Congress and BJP are to be blamed for Kashmir issue. The issue landed up in the UN as an international dispute in Congress rule. On the other hand, the Modi government created doubts in people with its handling of the situation.