Marthi Subrahmanyam
Vijayawada
While the entire family of TDP founder and former chief minister NT Rama Rao has rallied behind Chandrababu Naidu, expressing solidarity with Nara Bhavaneswari and Lokesh in the wake of Naidu’s arrest in the Skill Development Scam, one notable exception has been film actor Jr. NTR.
Two days after Naidu’s arrest, Jr. NTR has refrained from making any public statement condemning the incident, even on social media platforms. This silence from Jr. NTR has garnered criticism, not only from his fans but also from members of the TDP. Daggubati Purandeswari, the BJP state president, voiced her opposition to Naidu’s arrest, which adds an intriguing layer to the situation. In an unexpected twist, Lakshmi Parvati, the widow of NTR, visited NTR Ghat in Hyderabad to pay her respects. She expressed satisfaction with Naidu’s arrest, believing that the soul of NTR would find solace in this development.
The silence of Jr. NTR has left the Kamma community, to which both Naidu and Jr. NTR belong, infuriated. “Jr. NTR had previously pledged his allegiance to the Telugu Desam party indefinitely. However, he has remained conspicuously silent regarding Naidu’s unjust arrest,” commented a TDP leader. Even Jr. NTR’s fans, many of whom are fervent supporters of Naidu, find his silence hard to swallow.
“Jr. NTR entered the film industry, claiming the legacy of Senior NTR. Can he not, at the very least, condemn Naidu’s arrest? Jr. NTR’s sister, Suhasini, the daughter of Harikrishna, has also criticised the arrest of Naidu.
This raises the question of why Jr. NTR hesitates to condemn the arrest and show support for Naidu’s family,” questioned another TDP leader.
Speculation abounds regarding Jr. NTR’s close associations with YSRCP MLAs Kodali Nani and Vallabhaneni Vamsi, which may explain his reluctance to comment on Naidu’s arrest, according to a senior TDP leader.
Adding a peculiar twist to the saga, unidentified individuals erected a massive flex-banner featuring a graphic image of the late Nandamuri Harikrishna and Jr. NTR presenting a bouquet of flowers to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, along with the caption ‘Na Aatma Ku Shanti Chekurchevu’ (Bringing peace to my soul).
