TRS, BJP engage in war of hoardings ahead of PM's visit to Hyderabad

Hyderabad, June 29: A war of hoardings broke out between Telangana's ruling party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the saffron party's national executive and public meeting to be addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A hoarding criticising Prime Minister Modi cropped up on Wednesday near Parade Grounds in Secunderabad, where he is scheduled to address a public meeting on July 3.

However, the Secunderabad Cantonment Board authorities quickly removed the banner.

The hoarding in Telugu with hashtag ByeBye Modi, tagline 'Salu Modi-Sampaku Modi' (Enough Modi- Don't kill us Modi) and with a picture of Modi attracted the attention of passersby.

The hoarding highlighted six points, slamming Modi for 'killing' farmers with controversial farm laws, failing to provide jobs to youth, sudden lockdown, going back on the promise to give Rs 15 lakh to every citizen by bringing back black money and privatisation of LIC and other public sector undertakings.

Though who put up the hoarding was not mentioned on it but it was apparent going by the hashtag ByeBye Modi and the tagline being used on social media by the TRS supporters for the last few days.

Last week, the BJP had put up a hoarding at its office with the tagline 'KCR countdown has started'. The hoarding with a countdown clock carried the slogan 'Salu dora-selavu dora' (Enough sir, goodbye sir).

BJP national general secretary in-charge of party affairs in Telangana, Tarun Chug had formally inaugurated the countdown clock on June 25 and declared that 529 days are remaining for the TRS government and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR).

The BJP announced that it will install similar countdown clocks at all its offices in the state. The party has also launched a website with the slogan 'Salu dora- selavu dora' which has a ticking countdown clock. It also highlighted the failures of the TRS government.

TRS leaders had threatened to put up display boards of Modi with a garland of footwear around his neck across the state if the BJP did not remove the derogatory hoarding from its office.

TRS supporters have been putting up banners and hoardings during the visits by the Prime Minister to Hyderabad.

During Modi's visit to Hyderabad on May 26, banners with 17 questions were put up at different places in the city.

Most of the questions pertained to the commitments made by the Centre in 2014 during the formation of Telangana state which remained unfulfilled even after eight years.

The state's ruling party had asked Modi similar questions during his earlier visit to Hyderabad on February 5.

As the PM was in the city to unveil the statue of equality, the party had asked 'Where is equality for Telangana'.

A huge hoarding held by a group of youth on Tank Bund in the heart of the city had attracted the attention of all. It had several questions, reminding the Prime Minister of unfulfilled promises.

A two-day national executive of the BJP is scheduled to begin in Hyderabad on July 2. At the end of the executive, Modi and other BJP leaders will address the public meeting at Parade Grounds.