Pawan Kalyan, who dons saffron robes only when he is on his Sanatana Dharma duty, this time decided to attend Rekha Gupta's swearing-in ceremony in the colour of the clothes that Modi likes most.
Published Feb 21, 2025 | 12:12 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 21, 2025 | 12:12 PM
Pawan Kalyan with Narendra Modi during Delhi chief minister's swearing-in.
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan attended the swearing-in of Rekha Gupta as the chief minister of Delhi in a saffron attire. When Modi asked if he was going to the Himalayas, Pawan Kalyan said there was still time for his vanaprastham.
Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, who is being dubbed as Andhra’s Yogi Adityanath in the making, faced an unexpected question from Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, 20 February, in Delhi.
The prime minister, after the swearing-in of Rekha Gupta as the chief minister of Delhi, shook hands with the BJP chief ministers as well as the leaders of the NDA.
When he saw Pawan Kalyan dressed in the attire of a sadhu with saffron robes, he cracked a joke on him. “What, do you want to go to the Himalayas?” This exchange was revealed later by Pawan Kalyan himself.
Those around the prime minister and Pawan Kalyan, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu, went into peals of laughter as the deputy chief minister mumbled back, saying there was still time for his vanaprastham (exile to the forest) to the Himalayas.
Obviously to do tapasya (meditation) and definitely not as an envoy of peace to China, as it begins taking a belligerent position against India.
Pawan Kalyan, who dons saffron robes only when he is on his Sanatana Dharma duty, this time decided to attend Rekha Gupta’s swearing-in ceremony in the colour of the clothes that Modi likes most.
He might have wanted Modi to visualise him as a copy of Uttar Pradesh’s Yogi and catapult him to power at the appropriate time. Naidu, who was looking at them with growing interest, appeared to be trying to figure out the political implications of Modi’s query and Pawan’s reply.
In fact, Pawan Kalyan has been more like a “sanatani” ever since the Tirumala laddu imbroglio. He is not only taking part in religious rituals like visiting temples in Kerala and Tamil Nadu with his son Akira but also went to the Kumbh for a holy dip in the Ganges with his Russian wife.
Social media was abuzz with comments on the sacred thread jandhyam, also known as yagnopaveetham, that he wore since only Brahmins, Vaisyas, and Kshatriyas wear it.
Since Pawan Kalyan does not belong to any of these “privileged” castes, there was discussion on social media as to why he was wearing it. From the Kumbh, he went to Delhi to seek the blessings of the “energy that God sent in human form” – Modi – and seemed to have succeeded in his mission.
Anyway, the original Yogi Adityanath was missing at the swearing-in ceremony. He was reportedly busy as his state budget was being presented in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly, or he may have turned green with envy.
(Edited by Muhammed Fazil.)
