Nothing new in PM Modi’s Kurnool speech; offers no tangible benefit to Andhra Pradesh: CPI(M)

The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) has accused both the Central and State Governments of indulging in “mutual praise and empty rhetoric”, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Kurnool contained nothing new and did not bring any tangible benefit to Andhra Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Friday, October 17, 2025, CPI(M) External Affairs Minister V. Srinivasa Rao said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech was nothing but a political show to please the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and justify their alliance. “Just speaking in Telugu does not mean development of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.

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Accusing both the governments of ignoring regional objectives, he recalled that the BJP in its 2018 declaration announced in Kurnool had promised ₹ 20,000 crore for the development of the region, establishment of a second State capital and Supreme Court Bench in Rayalaseema and at least one Assembly session per year in the region. Calling the declaration a “political drama”, he said, “BJP is in power both at the Center and the State, but none of these promises have been fulfilled.”

The CPIM leader noted that neither Mr. Modi nor Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had mentioned the Kadapa Steel plant or the Rayalaseema package promised in the BJP’s 2018 “Rayalaseema Declaration”. “Despite promises of ₹20,000 crore package, a second State capital and a Supreme Court Bench in Rayalaseema, none of these promises have been fulfilled,” he said.

Mr Srinivasa Rao criticized the government’s claims about the GST cut, saying the per capita benefit was just four paise a day or about £1,600 a year, while prices of basic needs, electricity tariffs and fuel continued to rise. “Both the Center and the State had remained silent on the losses suffered by Andhra Pradesh under the GST regime,” he said.

He also accused the government of favoring companies by offering subsidies worth Rs 22,000 crore to Google and gifting valuable land to TCS, which recently laid off 20,000 employees. “The much-hyped Google Data Center opened three years ago and was being “repackaged as a new project” to gain credibility,” he noted.

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Accusing both State and Central Governments of surrendering national interests to global companies, Trump said that the Modi government created Adanis, not Google or Microsoft. “The slogan of Atmanirbhar Bharat has become a mask for privatization of public assets,” he claimed, urging people to hold both the BJP and TDP responsible for neglecting the development needs of Rayalaseema.

The CPIM leader also condemned the arrest of protesters during the Prime Minister’s visit and termed the police action as “undemocratic and tyrannical”. He demanded compensation of ₹ 50 lakh for the family of Arjun, who reportedly died during the public meeting in Kurnool. “Mr. Srinivasa Rao criticized the arrest of Suggali Preeti’s mother, who was seeking justice for her daughter, and questioned Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan’s silence on the issue,” he added.