All set for Prime Minister Modi's visit to Hyderabad today

Hyderabad: The stage is ready for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Hyderabad on Saturday, with arrangements made for a slew of development projects to be launched by him, as well as the laying of foundation stones for others.

After visiting the Secunderabad railway station to flag off a Vande Bharat Express to Tirupati, Modi will address a public meeting at the Parade Ground later in the morning. He will virtually lay the foundation stones from Parade round for various projects, including the redevelopment of the Secunderabad station.

Though Modi’s visit is an official programme, the BJP has been working hard to mobilise people to attend the public meeting and party leaders said they expect more than one lakh people to attend to hear Modi’s address. Modi's visit comes as political developments have heated up in the last two days, with the arrest of state BJP president Bandi Sanjay Kumar in connection with the SSC Hindi question paper circulation case.

Sanjay, who was released on bail from the Karimnagar jail on Friday morning, visited the meeting venue on Friday night to check on the arrangements. He said that his name was put in the case because of Modi's programme and an attempt to demoralise BJP cadres. However, such tactics will not be a setback, according to Sanjay, who thinks that a big number of people will attend the gathering to hear Modi speak about the development schemes that the Centre has undertaken and is implementing in Telangana.

He claimed that one of the reasons his name was dragged into the case was in view of Modi's programmes in the city and an attempt to demoralise the BJP cadres. However, such tactics will not be a setback, Sanjay stated, adding that a large number of people will attend the gathering to hear Modi speak about the development programmes that the Centre has undertaken and is implementing in Telangana.

Earlier in the day, Union minister G. Kishan Reddy told reporters that Modi's visit demonstrated the importance of development in the country, regardless of which state it is or which party is in power in that state.

“People will understand that the Centre is for the development of all states, there is no place for politics here. The BJP government at the Centre and Prime Minister Modi do not discriminate between states. It is the BRS government that indulges in discrimination. This can be seen clearly in the constituencies that are represented by BJP MLAs by how the BRS government neglects development. Even in the Secunderabad Lok Sabha constituency which I represent in the Lok Sabha, it is the same case,” Kishan Reddy said.