Home Minister Anita Vangalapudi met Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and explained the initiatives of her department to maintain law and order.
Published Nov 07, 2024 | 9:02 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 07, 2024 | 9:02 PM
Home Minister Anitha Vangalapudi met Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan at the Chief Minister's Office on Thursday, and explained the initiatives taken to address crimes against women. (Anitha Vangalapudi/X)
Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Anitta Vangalapudi met Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party leader Pawan Kalyan on Thursday, 7 November, and explained the law and order initiatives of her department.
The meeting came amidst uneasiness over Kalyan’s outburst against the home minister on Monday, 4 November. Addressing a meeting at Pithapuram, the actor-politician said he would not hesitate to take over the Home portfolio if the minister failed to act against rising crimes against women.
Thursday’s meeting gave the impression that Kalyan, who was instrumental in admitting the TDP into the NDA and leading the alliance to victory in the Assembly polls, has asserted his position in the government.
Kalyan’s outburst even took a communal angle with Manda Krishna Madiga, the founding president of the Madiga Poratta Samithi, condemning the public humiliation of a Madiga bidda.
Anitha, however, preferred to play down the incident, saying she was considering Kalyan’s words as friendly advice. The TDP minister also said she shared the pain of the women, who were humiliated on social media platforms.
Home Minister Anitha Vangalapudi.
“I take the words of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan positively. It’s like an alert to be more aggressive towards the criminals,” she said.
Union Minister Amit Shah later summoned Kalyan to Delhi for what has been perceived as a move to convince him to avoid any step that could rock the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh.
After Kalyan returned to the state, Anitha, apparently on the advice of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, met him and explained the measures taken to maintain law and order.
In an X post after meeting Kalyan at the Chief Minister’s Office, Anitha said the deputy chief minister had told her to focus more on crimes against women and children. He asked her to take stern action against those who committed offences against women. She said that the NDA government in the state always worked for the welfare of the people.
The meeting seemed to have ironed out the differences between the minister and Kalyan.
Incidentally, after his 15-minute meeting with Shah on Wednesday, 6 November, Kalyan did not disclose what had transpired between the two. He just mumbled that it was a courtesy call and left for the airport.
Pawan Kalyan with Amit Shah in New Delhi on 6 November. (Pawan Kalyan/X)
Kalyan’s meeting with Shah aroused a lot of interest in the political circles. Speculation was rife over the one-on-one meeting. There were also suggestions that Shah might have asked him to campaign for the NDA in areas where Telugu people live in poll-bound Maharashtra.
It was also speculated Shah “disciplined” Kalyan in private for speaking against his Cabinet colleague in public.
However, after his “peremptory and imperious warning” to Anitha, he has been taken more seriously and treated with more respect. The fact that Anitha had “explained” the measures being taken to curb the activities of the mischievous elements who posted obscene and indecent posts on social media platforms suggested that the TDP had climbed down to break bread with Kalyan.
Chief Minister Naidu on Thursday referred to the disturbing trend of humiliating people, mostly women, on social media. He said he would take stern action against such elements.
He was addressing a public meeting after inaugurating an electric sub-station built at a cost of ₹505 crore at Tallayapalem in Thullur Mandal in Amaravati.
The chief minister’s warning to social media activists to mend their ways has been seen as a gesture to pacify Kalyan who has been sulking that no definitive and decisive action was being taken against those who are maligning the image of the women in public life.
In the Cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, 6 November, the chief minister promised Kalyan that he would ensure that the entire police department would fall in line within a month and agreed with his contention that some police officers loyal to the YSRCP were still holding key positions.
He also recalled the indecent posts on social media against Kalyan’s children and on Home Minister Anita. He said he did not have any objection if the opposition criticised the government on its policies “but carrying out an indecent campaign against women is something that he will not tolerate,” the chief minister said.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
