PNS | Vijayawada
Former minister and MLA Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) has demarcated between the realms of cinema and politics, criticising cine icon K Chiranjeevi in the process. Nani drew a comparison, likening the distance between the AP Secretariat and Hyderabad Film City to the distinction between these two distinct arenas. He underscored that the domains of movies and politics are inherently disparate and should not be conflated.
Nani highlighted that discussions concerning the remuneration of esteemed actors like Chiranjeevi, Jr NTR, Mahesh Babu, and Ram Charan have not been a focus of political discourse.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Nani shared his personal admiration for actor Chiranjeevi, recounting his youthful days when he would adorn the hero’s poster while pursuing his engineering studies. He appealed to Chiranjeevi to engage with movies purely as a source of entertainment and to approach politics through a separate lens. Nani drew attention to the fact that no political figure has previously ventured into discussing cinema actors.
The MLA elaborated that a scenario where a ruling party leader participated in festive celebrations, specifically Sankranti, was mirrored in a film with the intention of criticising and demeaning that leader, despite any relevance to the movie’s storyline. Nani contended that certain characters were seemingly created out of a vendetta against this leader, and the repercussions of these creative choices are now apparent.
Turning his focus to Chandrababu, Nani laid out a serious accusation, attributing premeditated planning to the violence that transpired in Punganur. He asserted that Chandrababu orchestrated a calculated scheme wherein mobs from neighboring districts and constituencies were mobilised with weaponry, such as stones, sticks, rods, and bottles, in various vehicles like cars, jeeps, and trucks. The intent behind this attempt was to incite violence and, tragically, resulted in the death of 10 Telugu Desam Party activists due to police intervention.
Nani said that Chandrababu Naidu’s desperation was fuelled by his understanding of TDP’s anticipated loss in the 2024 elections. Consequently, he resorted to unlawful tactics and orchestrated violence as a means to an end. The incident in Punganur serves as a telling example of Chandrababu’s frustration manifesting as a law and order crisis, particularly through orchestrated attacks on the police forces responsible for maintaining public security.
In recognition of the Chittoor police force’s commendable restraint amidst these challenges, Nani expressed his admiration. Despite facing assaults, the Chittoor police thwarted Chandrababu’s alleged conspiracy, an act which Nani lauded. He observed that both Chandrababu and his son Lokesh are publicly critical of the Chittoor Superintendent of Police due to their thwarted plan. Nani underscored that without adequate police protection, neither father nor son could operate openly. However, he accused Chandrababu of orchestrating attacks on the police, motivated by a determined pursuit of power by any means necessary in the upcoming elections. These tactics, Nani concluded, only underscore Chandrababu’s desperation and his willingness to engage in underhanded strategies.
