Under fire from the opposition for his frequent trips to Delhi, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Monday defended his visits, claiming that they were aimed at securing funds and approvals for the state, not to “kneel down before Prime Minister Narendra Modi like you.”

Addressing the media, Reddy clarified that his current visit was to attend the wedding of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s daughter and discuss state issues with Telangana MPs in Parliament.

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“Some forces are counting my tours to New Delhi. The media always says I’m going there to seek permission for Cabinet expansion. Today’s Delhi visit has no political significance… Tomorrow, we will discuss the issues that need to be raised in Parliament on behalf of the state government with Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs,” Reddy said, as The Indian Express reported.

His comments come amid growing speculation that his trips are linked to Cabinet expansion and appointments to public sector corporation posts. Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samiti (BRS) leader K T Rama Rao recently claimed that Reddy had visited Delhi 23 times in 10 months without any visible benefits for the state.

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Reddy rejected the allegations, stressing that his trips were meant to secure much-needed funds and approvals for Telangana. “I’m not going to Delhi to kneel down before PM (Narendra) Modi like you. I’m not going to Delhi to hold someone’s leg (and plead to be let off cases), or to ask the governor not to give permission. Telangana has suffered a lot in the last 10 years. The BJP is not giving funds to the state from the party treasury, it’s given from the central government treasury. The government will get funds only when we go and meet the Union ministers without showing political bias,” he added.

He further noted, “Now is not the time for anger or resentment.” The chief minister also hinted at a possible meeting with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to invite him to the December 9 unveiling of the Telangana Thalli statue, marking his government’s first anniversary in office.