TRS to invite Narendra Modi for Telangana formation day

NEW DELHI: Amid controversy over TRS not inviting the Prime Minister for the swearing-in ceremony of Telangana Chief Minister-designate K Chandrasekhar Rao on June 2, the party today said it will invite Narendra Modi for the formation day of the state, likely to be in mid-June.

"We will be visiting Delhi to invite the Prime Minister for the formation day of Telangana, within a couple of days after the swearing-in ceremony," TRS politburo member and MP B Vinod Kumar said.

"The formation day of the new state (Telangana) is likely to be fixed in mid-June for which Modi will be invited," he said.

Asked as to why the Prime Minister was not invited for the swearing-in ceremony of Rao on Monday, Kumar said it would be difficult to provide protection to VIPs in the absence of a Chief Secretary and DGP of the new state.

"It is important to note that while the Chief Minister is taking oath in the morning, the Governor of Telangana will assume charge only in the evening of June 2. So, we have decided to extend the invitation to the Prime Minister for formation day," he said.

He said the formation day would be decided after the TRS government takes over.

"The date is likely to be in mid-June as schools would reopen by that time, enabling students to participate in the celebrations," he said.

The non-invitation to Prime Minister sparked a controversy as Rao's counterpart and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu has personally invited Modi for his swearing-in ceremony on June 8 at Guntur district in residual Andhra Pradesh.

Moreover, Rao also opposed the ordinance to transfer some villages from Khammam district in Telangana to residual Andhra Pradesh to execute Polavaram multi-purpose project.