It Is Time For Chandrababu To Walk The Talk

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

Politics in Andhra Pradesh have taken an interesting turn. One gets the impression that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu is trapped in a web of difficulties spun by him and finds himself at a loss for words.

As announced earlier by the Leader of the Opposition in Andhra Pradesh assembly and YSRCP Chief, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the party MPs submitted notices moving a no trust vote against the NDA government practically every day, and after the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die, they submitted their resignations to the Speaker. As per YS Jagan‘s decision, they sat upon an indefinite hunger strike at AP Bhavan.

At the same time, rattled by the fear that the YSRCP MPs would hog the limelight and get national attention, which they did anyway, Chandrababu Naidu, as a diversionary measure, took out a cycle rally. He criticised not just the Centre and BJP, but also his principal opposition party in Andhra Pradesh, YSRCP.

Chandrababu Naidu‘s anger was very evident and there for all to see. He claims that he is above criticism. He repeatedly asserts that denouncing him amounts to criticism of Andhra Pradesh itself! Weakening him he says, amounts to rendering AP weak and helpless!

The dictatorial streak in Indira Gandhi, played up by her followers, led to the same argument being put forward during the darkest days of the emergency. The slogan “India is Indira and Indira is India“ rang through the country at that time, propagated by Mrs Gandhi’s followers. As it turned out, people did not pay much attention to such propaganda. Against growing criticism in the face of atrocities committed during the emergency and the swelling tide of public anger, such empty sloganeering simply got washed away. The common masses rose against the tyranny of Indira Gandhi and overthrew her and her son, Sanjay Gandhi, thus creating history.

Today, Chandrababu Naidu, is also coming up with similar logic. There is nothing wrong in criticising and finding fault with PM Modi and the NDA government. However to ?criticise YSRCP is unwarranted. Yet, Chandrababu has been targeting the YSRCP needlessly and making the rather bizarre accusation that the BJP is backing the opposition party in AP.?

What is Chandrababu Naidu afraid of? Chandrababu, who was in alliance with the BJP for four years, now finds it worrying that some other party could go with the BJP. The truth of the matter is that YSRCP had made it clear that it would not sail with the BJP or have any alliance with the ruling party at the Centre. Chandrababu, on his part, continues with his propaganda. It is a strange coincidence that his party MPs stand next to Sonia Gandhi right around this time. The Telugu Desam parliamentarians are seen hobnobbing with Jairam Ramesh.

While the TDP leaders are seen consorting with Congress leadership, what we also see is the odd spectacle of the same TDP branding Sonia Gandhi 'Italy Mafia' and devil incarnate. This ambivalence is typical of Chandrababu's style of politics. In fact, there's none to excel him in such duplicity.

Chandrababu finds himself in a real spot right now. The YSRCP has been consistent in its stand on SCS. It has always maintained that Special Category Status was like a Sanjeevini or panacea for the people of Andhra Pradesh. As announced earlier, the YSRCP MPs submitted their resignations to the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Sumitra Mahajan. The TDP MPs on the other hand, have not submitted their resignations and in fact, have been evasive on the issue.

The TDP has been pretending to struggle for SCS to the state and has been content with staying in headlines now and then. If all the MPs belonging to both parties, YSRCP and TDP resign at once, as Leader of the Oppposition in AP assembly, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been saying all along, and a point reiterated by the honorary president of the party, YS Vijayamma, the situation would be very different. The impact of 23 MPs resigning at once would be much higher. The entire country would be forced to sit up and take notice of such a major political development. The popular impression would have been that the political parties of the state, cutting across party lines are united on the issue of SCS.

Chandrababu, for some reason, panicked and is gripped by fear. It is being speculated that as alleged by the opposition, he wants his MPs to create a commotion in the parliament, if he is charged in cases. Instead of his strange antics in Delhi, he is content to conduct cycle rallies in some lanes and by-lanes of the state to express his protest. He should have carried out a similar protest in Delhi. He should have questioned PM Modi in the Central Hall of the parliament.

Let us see if Chandrababu, who in the past, had said that Special Category Status did not accord any benefits, would get his MPs to resign from the parliament. On the subject of resignations, I am reminded of the resignations of MLAs for Vizag steel plant back in 1967. All the opposition MLAs resigned for the cause to express their solidarity. Similarly, we have also seen how TRS MPs and MLAs resigned to fight for a separate Telangana state. Those from other parties also joined them, at that time.

During the Bofors scam, 104 MPs of the National Front resigned in protest. Incidentally, TDP was a leading opposition party then. The same TDP is very diffident about resigning now. This shows the steep decline in the core values of the party itself. Chandrababu clearly lacks the courage YS Jagan has been demonstrating all along. It is time Chandrababu learnt to walk the talk. The tragedy is that Chandrababu's behaviour is proving to be damaging to the pride and honour of Telugus.