In the last few days, Jr NTR has been heavily trolled by TDP workers for his balanced response to the renaming of NTRUHS.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah meets actor Jr NTR in August 2022. (Supplied)
Ace Tollywood actor Jr NTR’s “politically correct” response to the YSRCP government’s decision to rename NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRHS) appears to have landed him in controversy, and also divided the fans of late NTR, triggering a debate on who are the real successors of his legacy and the TDP.
Jumping into the melee is the BJP, which has been waiting for an opportunity to corner the main Opposition in Andhra Pradesh — the TDP — and also woo Jr NTR, who enjoys immense popularity in both the Telugu states.
Open support of the BJP to Jr NTR in after he met the party’s de facto power centre and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the falling importance of NTR’s daughter Daggubati Purandeswari in the party can’t be seen as isolated developments, say political observers in the state.
In the last few days, Jr NTR has been heavily trolled by TDP workers for his balanced response to the renaming of NTRUHS.
While senior TDP leaders have been tightlipped about Jr NTR, second-rung leaders have gone ballistic on various social media platforms. They are not happy that Jr NTR did not directly condemn the government’s actions.
Interestingly Jr NTR played safe in his response without ruffling any feathers on the wrong side.
With the response, he also indicated that it was not necessary for him to toe the line of the current TDP leadership, and that he has his way of looking at and dealing with political issues.
“Both NTR and YSR are great leaders who have gained immense popularity through their work. Replacing one’s name with another name does not raise the stature of YSR, and likewise, it does not lower the stature of NTR. Renaming the university cannot erase the immense popularity NTR earned and his memories in the hearts of the Telugu people,” said Jr NTR in the tweet.
— Jr NTR (@tarak9999) September 22, 2022
After the meeting between Amit Shah and Jr NTR, there has been cryptic silence from both camps on the reasons behind it.
Though BJP leaders said it was a meeting to appreciate Jr NTR’s performance in the pan-India blockbuster RRR, it was pointed out that Shah didn’t show the same enthusiasm to meet the other lead actor of the movie, Ram Charan, and also director SS Rajamouli.
At this juncture, BJP Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao jumped in to strongly defend Jr NTR over the heavy trolling.
Rao said that those who were once responsible for the death of NTR, to get the TDP from him, are today mocking Jr NTR and asking him if he was “the heir”.
Had a good interaction with a very talented actor and the gem of our Telugu cinema, Jr NTR in Hyderabad.
అత్యంత ప్రతిభావంతుడైన నటుడు మరియు మన తెలుగు సినిమా తారక రత్నం అయిన జూనియర్ ఎన్టీఆర్‌తో ఈ రోజు హైదరాబాద్‌లో కలిసి మాట్లాడటం చాలా ఆనందంగా అనిపించింది.@tarak9999 pic.twitter.com/FyXuXCM0bZ
— Amit Shah (Modi Ka Parivar) (@AmitShah) August 21, 2022
యుగ పురుషుడు ఎన్టీఆర్ గారినుంచి టీడీపీని దక్కించుకోవటం కోసం ఒకప్పుడు ఒక పోటు పొడిచి ఆయన మరణానికి కారకులైనవారు, ఈరోజున ఆయనపై 'అతిప్రేమ'ను ఒలకబోస్తూ జూ.ఎన్టీఆర్ ను "నువ్వు వారసుడివా" అని వెక్కిరించటం, అవమానించటం, కార్యకర్తలను ఉసిగొల్పడం రాజకీయ వికృతానికి,'దగా' రాజకీయాలకు పరాకాష్ట.
— జీవీఎల్ నరసింహరావు (మోడీ గారి కుటుంబం) (@GVLNRAO) September 25, 2022
A statement by NTR fans. (Supplied)
The fans of Jr NTR have been seething because their favourite actor is being heavily targeted by the TDP.
Condemning the trolls against the actor, one fan association president Kavuri Krishna said henceforth they will not tolerate any kind of trolling of Jr NTR.
In a statement, he added that Jr NTR was the actual heir of the TDP, and that the current leadership of the party had snatched it illegally from the late NTR.
The stripping of two party posts from former Union minister and NTR’s daughter Daggubati Purandeswari is being seen as an indication that all is not well between her and the party’s central leadership.
The BJP has removed Purandeswari from the post of party co-in-charge of Chhattisgarh and also in charge of Odisha. She continues as the party general secretary.
“The BJP central leadership is of the opinion that Purandeswari didn’t live up to their expectations. She being NTR’s daughter, they expected that they could utilise that legacy to gain some strength in Andhra Pradesh. Also, they expected that she would attract some TDP leaders into the party fold,” an Andhra Pradesh BJP leader who wished not to be identified told South First.
“Except for Rajya Sabha members Sujana Chowdhary, TG Venkatesh, Garikapati Ra Mohan Rao, and CM Ramesh, no other prominent leader joined the BJP from the TDP in recent times. Inducting these leaders was also an operation by the central leadership. Now they want to woo Jr NTR and utilise his charisma for the party,” added the leader.
Purandeswari, who served as Union minister during the UPA regime at the Centre, joined the BJP just before the 2014 polls.
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