PM belittling Rahul is in bad taste, says Naidu

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party national president Nara Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday came to the rescue of AICC President Rahul Gandhi who has been a target of ridicule for the BJP and particularly the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that Rahul is a matured leader.

Interacting with select media here, Naidu who has participated in road shows with the AICC president as a part of election campaign said that Rahul respects him as a senior leader. “Is it right on the part of the prime minister to criticize him like that? As a senior politician of the country, how can Modi heckle and use bad words on the president of a national party. The PM behaved in the same way on the day there was a debate on Special Category status. Is it right,” Naidu wanted to know.

“Those who have a humble background should remain humble. When you grow you should be stable and majestic. I strongly oppose this. KCR also behaves like that. I wonder why. I never use such language that is my approach from the beginning,” Naidu said.

Anti-BJP front will go ahead irrespective of results of elections.

Naidu said that the next round of talks to build an anti-BJP front at the national level will take place on 10 December at New Delhi. Refusing to dwell upon the agenda, he said “It is a consortium of political parties; UPA is an entity in it. There are some political parties which are not in UPA, so all of us have to decide what to do and how to go about it. It is a loose agenda if I decide agenda someone will say who I am to do that,” he said.

“See these elections are important whether we win or lose us will have to move forward. I am in touch with Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati. We are hoping that Navin Patnaik will join us before elections. But everyone is busy with election campaigning now,” Naidu said. When asked if he would allow Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) join the anti-BJP front, he said that it is a hypothetical question.

Not in PM race

Naidu also made it clear that he has no aspirations to become Prime Minister through the alternative front. “I don’t have any such ambition and genuinely trying not to aspire for such posts. I have to build one more city the Amaravati. Amaravati will be a marvel. People need my attention there in AP. After ten years only some eco-system will develop,” Naidu said.