‘Better you join me’: PM Modi’s witty reply to CM Reddy’s plea for Telangana project clearances

The event where PM Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated development projects in Telangana saw a subtle and witty response from him to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who sought the Centre's expeditious clearance of the state's development initiatives. Reddy, who spoke first, recalled that Modi achieved success with the ''Gujarat Model'' of development when he was CM and Dr Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. Similarly, he said, the people of Telangana expect Modi to realise their development aspirations through a ''Telangana Model'' to help the state become a USD 1 trillion economy by 2034 and a USD 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. He proposed setting up a ''Special Single-Window Task Force'' in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to facilitate the expedited clearance of all projects of national importance pertaining to the six metropolitan cities-Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. Observing that several important projects, including the Musi River rejuvenation project, Metro Rail expansion, and the proposed 12-lane Hyderabad–Machilipatnam express highway, were pending, he requested Modi to hold a special two-hour meeting to clear Telangana's pending projects. ''(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,'' he said. He added that there was no political intent behind the development appeal. Later, in his address, Modi referred to Revanth Reddy's remarks that there should be no politics in development and said he too would avoid political comments. Assuring the Centre's support to Telangana, he invited Reddy to join him in the development journey. ''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,'' he said. Noting 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 (developed India) 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.''

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