Growing dissent against PM Modi’s visit to Telangana

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Ramagundam on November 12 to dedicate the Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) factory to the nation.

Hyderabad: Dissent against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Telangana is getting louder. While posters appeared on the streets of Hyderabad on Thursday opposing Modi’s visit, coal miners attended work wearing black badges in Singareni mining areas of Mancherial, Ramagundam and Kothagudem among others.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Ramagundam on November 12 to dedicate the Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) factory to the nation. Though the factory has been operational for nearly two years, the decision of Prime Minister Modi to dedicate it to the nation now, is raising eyebrows.

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Posters and flexi banners appeared at various junctions including Jubilee Checkpost, Secunderabad and Begumpet with slogans of “Modi No Entry”. With the name of “Telangana Chenetha (Weavers) Youth Force”, the banners were put up demanding the BJP government to roll back the five percent GST being imposed on handloom products. They warned against him entering the State without fulfilling the promises made to the people of the State.

Coal miners working with underground mines and opencast projects belonging to the state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) also protested by wearing black badges in protest of Modi‘s tour. The agitating miners raised slogans such as ‘Modi Go Back’ and criticised him for trying to privatise coal blocks in Telangana and affecting the livelihood of miners.

They warned that they would block Modi’s tour for adopting anti-labour policies. Activists of Telangana Boggu Ghani Karmeeka Sangham (TBGKS), All India Trade union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade union Congress (INTUC) and Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) took part in the protest.

There is growing anger against the BJP government among the people of Telangana for the discrimination being meted out to the State in terms of sanction of projects and allocation of funds. Raising the pending issues pertaining to the State, a large number of trade unions, student and civic organisations have demanded Modi to fulfill his promises before stepping in Telangana. Various organisations have already vowed to stage protests and obstruct the Prime Minister’s visit, with the slogan of “Modi Go Back”.