‘Better join me’: PM Modi's jovial dig as Revanth Reddy seeks support for Telangana
Requesting a two-hour meeting with PM Modi to clear Telangana's pending projects, Revanth Reddy listed all that needed a go-ahead – Musi River rejuvenation project, Metro Rail expansion and the proposed 12-lane Hyderabad–Machilipatnam express highway.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's witty response to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has gone viral on social media after the latter sought expeditious clearance of the state's development initiatives. Revanth Reddy, who first spoke at the event in Hyderabad on Sunday, recalled the “Gujarat Model” of development when Narendra Modi was the chief minister and Manmohan Singh was the prime minister.
Like the “Gujarat Model”, he said, the people of Telangana expect Modi to realise their development aspirations through a "Telangana Model" to help the state become a $1 trillion economy by 2034 and a $3 trillion economy by 2047.
"For that, you should give your blessings to Telangana, like how Manmohan Singh ji supported you. Then, we can make progress," he said.
Quick answers to key questions
Telangana CM Revanth Reddy requested PM Modi's support and blessings for Telangana's development initiatives, aiming for a 'Telangana Model' to achieve economic goals. He specifically sought expeditious clearance for projects like the Musi River rejuvenation, Metro Rail expansion, and the Hyderabad–Machilipatnam express highway.
PM Modi responded jovially, inviting Revanth Reddy to 'join me' in the development journey. He offered to provide central support similar to what Gujarat received during Manmohan Singh's tenure but cautioned that Telangana might receive less if it didn't align with his approach.
Telangana aspires to become a USD 1 trillion economy by 2034 and a USD 3 trillion economy by 2047. This vision is part of the 'Telangana Model' of development that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy hopes to realize with central government support.
PM Modi has appealed to citizens to conserve resources by reviving work-from-home, using petrol and diesel with restraint, preferring public transport, adopting carpooling, delaying non-essential foreign travel, and avoiding unnecessary gold purchases.
These appeals were made to cushion India from soaring energy costs amid global uncertainties like the West Asia conflict and rising crude oil prices. The measures aim to reduce India's dependence on imported fuel and protect the economy from global disruptions.
Requesting a two-hour meeting with Modi to clear Telangana's pending projects, Reddy listed all that needed a go-ahead – Musi River rejuvenation project, Metro Rail expansion, and the proposed 12-lane Hyderabad–Machilipatnam express highway.
“[Union Ministers] Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar keep saying that Modi ji is a large-hearted person. Our only appeal is to show your large-heartedness towards Telangana,” CM Reddy said.
Addressing the crowd, Modi referred to Reddy's remarks that there should be no politics in development, said he would avoid political comments, and invited him to join him on the development journey.
He said, “I would tell Revanth ji that I am ready to give you as much as the Centre gave Gujarat during the 10-year rule when Manmohan Singh was PM. But, as per my understanding, I must also tell you this: the moment I do that, what you are receiving now may become half. You will not be able to reach where you want to reach. That is why it is better you join me.”
Modi said that it is not wrong for different parties to govern different states in a democracy. He stressed that the development of states is as important as the development of the nation. He said national development is not possible without the development of states and called for collective efforts to achieve the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The PM also said India is implementing reforms at a rapid pace and building modern infrastructure.
He assured every family in Telangana that the Centre will continue to work "with greater speed to realise your dreams."
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
For about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance: Insights into mutual funds, small savings schemes like - PPF, SSY, post office savings scheme, stock to watch, personal loans, credit cards, top bank FDs, real estate, income tax and more. 3. Politics: Comprehensive coverage of general elections, state elections and bypolls, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Parliament, PMO, PIB, finance ministry, home ministry, among other union ministries and government departments. 4. National News: From metro cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and e to untapped stories from rural India, we cover human interest, health, education, crime and courts, and law and order, among other areas of public interest. 5. Economy: In-depth analysis of India's macro and micro-economic indicators like- GDP, inflation, forex, fiscal deficit, current account deficit, interest rate cycle, economic recovery, RBI circulars, indirect taxes, GST, Insolvency and Bankruptcy imports, exports and everything that impacts Indian economy. 6. Geopolitics: Well-rounded and deeply researched coverage on US News, Oval Office European Union, Ukraine Russia War, middle-east crisis, royal families and global leaders like - Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping and premiers of other leading economies in the world. Meet the Team 1. Gulam Jeelani, Political Affairs Editor 2. Sugam Singhal, Senior Assistant Editor 3. Chanchal, Assistant Editor 4. Sanchari Ghosh, Chief Content Producer 5. Pratik Prashant Mukane, Chief Content Producer 6. Sayantani Biswas, Chief Content Producer 7. Ravi Hari, Deputy Chief Content Producer 8. Garvit Bhirani, Deputy Chief Content Producer 9. Akriti Anand, Senior Content Producer 10. Jocelyn Felix Fernandes, Senior Content Producer 11. Swastika Das Sharma, Content Producer 12. Mausam Jha, Content Producer 13. Riya R Alex, Trainee Content Producer
Wait for it…
Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.