Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will reportedly avoid greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he arrives here on Thursday to attend the 20th annual celebrations at the Indian School of Business (ISB). This would be the second time in less than four months that the TRS chief, who is eyeing a key role in national politics against the BJP,  will do the same.


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According to reports, Rao is scheduled to be in Bengaluru on that day to meet former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (S) leader HD Deve Gowda. KCR returned to Hyderabad on Monday from Delhi after a four-day visit to the national capital and Chandigarh. He is likely to leave for Bengaluru on Wednesday evening.


As per the schedule already announced, KCR will reach Bengaluru on May 26 where he will call on former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and former Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy. The next day, he will reportedly leave for Ralegan Siddhi where he will meet prominent social activist Anna Hazare. From there, he will go to Shirdi for Saibaba`s darshan and will then return to Hyderabad.


During his stay in Delhi, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief had called on Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav. Rao along with Kejriwal also travelled to Chandigarh and they were joined by Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for a programme on May 22, where KCR handed over cheques of Rs 3 lakh each to families of farmers who died during the movement against the three farm laws brought by the Centre.


KCR presented cheques of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of four Army personnel from Punjab who were martyred during clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley.


PM Modi to attend 20th annual day celebrations of ISB


Prime Minister Modi is visiting Hyderabad on May 26 to participate in 20th annual day celebrations of the ISB and the graduation ceremony of the postgraduate programme Class of 2022 of the business school. The Prime Minister will address the students of both Hyderabad and Mohali campuses, according to the programme announced by ISB dean Madan Pillutla.


PM Modi will reportedly plant a sapling at the ISB, unveil a commemorative plaque and release the ISB MyStamp and Special Cover, besides awarding medals to the academic scholars of excellence.


An IANS report said that the ISB had invited CM KCR for the event. The dean reportedly said that the chief minister conveyed his best wishes and informed that he would not be able to attend the event in view of his scheduled visit to another state.


Earlier on February 5, KCR had not received Modi on his arrival in Hyderabad and also skipped the two programmes attended by the Prime Minister, who had unveiled the statue of saint Ramanujacharya and inaugurated 50th-anniversary celebrations of ICRISAT during the then day-long visit.


KCR had come under sharp criticism from BJP, which alleged that KCR insulted the Prime Minister. His action was viewed in political circles as a symbolic protest against the Modi government`s discrimination against Telangana, said the report.


The state BJP has reportedly slammed KCR for once again avoiding a meeting with the Prime Minister. State BJP chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the TRS chief is running away from the state to avoid facing Modi.


According to reports, KCR has stepped up his efforts to work for a national alternative. KCR had hinted at floating a national party to play a key role in national politics at the 20th formation day celebrations of TRS.


Tight security for PM Modi's visit to Hyderabad


The Telangana police is making tight security arrangements for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the city on May 26. It will be deploying around 2,500 police personnel, said a PTI report.


Around 2,500 police personnel will be deployed in view of the Prime Minister's visit to the city and all necessary arrangements are in place, police sources told PTI.


Asked about reports that police were collecting the details of ISB students as part of precautionary measures, the sources said they were checking the antecedents of all those who will be attending the event.


"We do background check of all those people who will be in the proximity of the Prime Minister. Not just students, but staff among others also. It is not specific to students, all those who are attending the event," PTI quoted the sources.


On reports that social media accounts and online posts of some of the students were under vigil, the sources said "...Whatever is required is being done as part of the background check", adding that antecedents verification of those staying on the institute's premises was also being carried out to identify any strangers if any.


The police also ordered that no flying activities of Remotely Controlled Drones or Para-Gliders or Remotely Controlled Micro-Light Aircrafts, be allowed over the area bounded by a circle of five km radius from Indian School of Business, Gachibowli.


(With Inputs from Agencies)