Naidu says KCR is middle Modi, YS Jagan is junior Modi

As the heated tirade between Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu gained air, the latter described KCR as "middle Modi" and YS Jaganmohan Reddy as "junior Modi."

He said both of them are acting to the tunes of Narendra Modi. He charged KCR with trying to destabilise his government to "satisfy Modi."

"Modi and KCR indulge in blackmailing politics. Modi bails out those facing cases and implicates his opponents. He recently bailed out KCR from a case. So, KCR started dancing to Modi tunes,” Naidu remarked at a news conference in Amaravati on Sunday.

Naidu was visibly upset by the harsh words used by KCR while criticising him on Saturday. KCR described Naidu as the "dirtiest and most opportunistic politician in India."

Deflecting tactics

Naidu said that the KCR-Narendra Modi combine was afraid of the development in Andhra Pradesh.

"Modi wants Andhra Pradesh to remain poor. KCR too, wants the state not to progress, so that people would not focus on his misrule in Telangana. If the neighbouring state remains under-developed, he can look like a tall personality in his state,” Naidu said.

He further said that the YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh is their (KCR-Modi) tool to "ruin the state and destabilise the government."

Naidu shot off a warning to the trio saying, "The Modi-KCR-Jagan combination will face the wrath of people in the forthcoming general elections."

KCR, TDP and nostalgia

“KCR says that I took away TDP from its founder NT Rama Rao. Let me remind him that he was in the forefront of organising the matters against NTR and in my favour during the 1995 coup. He was the architect of the episode," Naidu said.

Naidu also recalled how KCR had praised him as a minister in his Cabinet during the 1995-1999 period. "I groomed him that time,” he said.

The TDP chief ridiculed KCR on the latter's claim that his agriculture policies have "become role model for the rest of the country." "Telangana showed 0.2% agriculture growth, while Andhra Pradesh is constantly growing at 11%," Naidu said.