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Published Nov 30, 2024 | 2:13 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 30, 2024 | 5:26 PM
Andhra Pradesh Dy CM Pawan Kalyan
Old habits die hard. Though he is deputy chief minister, Pawan Kalyan wants to live upto his swashbuckling and thugs-bashing filmi hero image. It was in full display on Friday, 29 November, when he “raided” Kakinada port with JSP civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar in tow. He had incontrovertible intel that PDS rice was being shipped out from Kakinada to the dark continent.
As soon as he reached the port, he created a sensation. As the tyres of his vehicle and those of his entourage screeched to a halt on entering the port premises, he came out and immediately left for the Stella-L vessel anchored in the high seas, obviously waiting for more shipments of PDS rice.
The deputy chief minister reached the vessel but it was not easy. Those who were used to smuggling the rice out, used all the tricks in the bag to prevent him from boarding the vessel. Finally he managed to get into the vessel and found huge stocks of PDS. After confiscating the rice, he returned to the port and went around.
To his shock, he found more rice ready for shipping out of Kakinada port. Later he wondered before the media persons that if there is no check on operations at the port, where was the guarantee that RDX would not be smuggled out from here.
All along, he acted as though he was deeply involved in a scene in a high-octane action flick, which comes as second nature to him. Only, he did not attempt to fight with those smuggling the rice. In films, with one punch he can send half dozen goons into the sky who crash to the ground in a way that is possible only in films.
But luckily for him, he seemed to have resisted the temptation as it may not happen the way he wants. Later he called those involved in smuggling a rice mafia and was livid with rage with officials for allowing smuggling despite stern warning to all of them in the past. He asked the officials to book the culprits under the PD Act.
He thus sent a veiled warning to former YSRCP leader Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy that his chickens were coming home to roost. He has old scores to settle with Chandrasekhar Reddy for the latter’s incendiary and uncharitable comments on him while the YSRCP was in power.
Manohar said that after the advent of the NDA government in the state, so far they have seized 51,000 tonnes of rice meant for illegal export while 26,000 tonnes was meant for PDS.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
