Telangana chief Chief Minister Chandrashekhar Rao has extended his support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the flaring border clash with China.
A CMO release said Rao mentioned the Indo-China skirmishes along the Line of Actual Control during the PM’s videoconference with the chief ministers on Wednesday.
“Whether it is China or any other country, if it interferes with the sovereignty of India, there should be a befitting reply. There is no need for anyone to politicise security matters. This is the time when everyone should be united and speak in one voice,” Rao said.
Though Rao was endorsing Modi’s COVID-19 measures including the lighting of lamps etc., calls given to the public, the TRS supremo turned very critical of the PM later over the COVID-19 package and the conditions put on the states to qualify for the central funds.
However, on Wednesday, Rao made it clear that the state government and people in Telangana state would stand by the Central government in the present stand-off situation with China.
“There should not be any compromise on security of the country and the entire nation should stand as one on the issue,” the CM said.
The PM and all the CMs observed a two minutes silence, paying tributes to the 20 martyred soldiers in Ladakh.
Colonel’s body reaches Telangana
Colonel Santosh Babu's body reached the Hakimpet air-force station near Hyderabad on Wednesday evening. Babu, the commanding officer of the 16th Bihar Regiment, died along with 19 others on Monday night in a violent clash with the Chinese troops.
Telangana governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, K T Rama Rao etc, ministers, senior army and state officials paid their tributes. The Colonel’s body was taken to Suryapet, his hometown, 140-km away from Hyderabad towards Vijayawada. His cremation would be held on Thursday morning with full state honours.
Earlier on Wednesday, army and Telangana police officers received the wife and children of Colonel Babu at the Hyderabad airport.