New Delhi: Days after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lashed out at the local collector of Kamareddy district, Union Heavy Industries Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey on Saturday criticised the TRS government in Telangana for not having Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo on welfare schemes.
Pandey visited the old Palamuru Primary Health Center in Mahbubnagar town. He was accompanied by BJP National Vice President DK Aruna and former MP Jitender Reddy.
During his visit, he criticised the administration for not having PM Modi's photo on the Covid-19 vaccination program that was organised in the hospital.
However, the District Collector Venkat Rao was absent during the Union Minister’s visit.
Pandey said that while PM Modi is loved across the country, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has been showing disrespect towards the Prime Minister.
Earlier, on Thursday, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman lost her cool and lashed out at the District collector of Kamareddy when the latter failed to provide information about the central and state share in the ration provided to beneficiaries.
In a video that went viral on social media, the Central Minister could be heard asking, "You are an IAS officer, don't you know?"
She further asked the district collector to gather information about schemes and central share within half an hour.
She also slammed him for not having PM Modi's pictures on welfare schemes.
Earlier, taking potshots at the Telangana government, she had claimed that every child born in the state carries a Rs 1.25 lakh debt burden. She added that because of the huge debts and “wrong policies”, a surplus budget state in Telangana become a revenue deficit state.
Meanwhile, reacting to her remarks, Telangana minister KT Rama Rao said, “I am appalled by the unruly conduct of FM today with District Magistrate/Collector of Kamareddy These political histrionics on the street will only demoralise hardworking AIS officers. My compliments to @Collector_KMR Jitesh V Patil, IAS on his dignified conduct.”
Notably, Sitharaman was in Telangana attending various programmes in Zaheerabad Parliamentary Constituency, as part of BJP's 'Lok Sabha PravasYojana'.
(With inputs from Ashish Kumar Pandey)