CM invites Pranab, Javdekar for OU centenary fete

Hyderabad: It was a day of protocols and protests for the State leadership in New Delhi. Even as the Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao called on President Pranab Mukherjee and obtained concurrence for his participation in the centenary celebrations of Osmania University, the TRS Members of Parliament abstained from both the Houses for the second day on Tuesday, striking a discordant note in its relations with the ruling NDA as a sign of protest against the raw deal meted out to the State on more than one count.

Calling it an “official boycott”, the TRS parliamentary party justified its decision to stay away from the proceedings in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha for two days on the plea that the Centre failed to reciprocate the State’s resolve to build harmonious Centre-State relations. The party voiced its total disapproval of the Centre’s non-serious and miserly approach to the needs of the newly formed State.

CM calls on Pranab

The Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, accompanied by the Deputy Chief Minister, Kadiam Srihari, and senior MPs called on the President and invited him to the centenary celebrations of Osmania



University to be organised from April 26 to 28. Pranab had reportedly given his consent to be the chief guest at the historic fete.

The Chief Minister also extended his invitation to the Union Minister for Human Resources Development Prakash Javadekar and received a positive response from him also. The Chief Minister sought adequate assistance from the Ministry of Human Resources Development for the development of universities in the State. He also wanted the Centre to sanction Navodaya schools in all the 21 districts formed newly as part of the re-organisation exercise.

TRS leader in the Lok Sabha, AP Jithender Reddy, made it clear that the TRS Parliamentary Party had been responding positively every time the NDA needed its support as directed by the Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao. But the Centre had been failing to reciprocate in the same manner when it mattered on the resolution of issues before the State. The TRS leadership was in fact upset with the last-minute cancellation of appointment given to Chief Minister, K Chandrashekhar Rao, for meeting Prime Minister Modi along with the all-party delegation on the SC categorisation issue.