Although Anita dismissed Pawan Kalyan's outbursts as friendly advice, his tone suggested otherwise. It seemed Anita was inconsequential, serving merely as a tool for Pawan Kalyan to advance his own agenda
Published Nov 06, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 06, 2024 | 3:35 PM
Pawan's outburst at Anita: Is he advising her or using her as a device to drive his plot?(X)
Was Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan’s intention only to advise Home Minister V Anita to act against those who commit crimes against women with an iron hand or was he targeting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu?
Kalyan cannot be so naive not to know that law and order rests with the chief minister and not with the home minister. Yet, while addressing a meeting in his Pithapuram Assembly constituency on Monday, 4 November, he held Anita responsible for the deteriorating law and order in the state.
Though Anita dismissed Kalyan’s outbursts as friendly advice to her, the tone and tenor of the matinee idol was far from it. It also looked as though Anita was inconsequential. She appeared to be a device that Kalyan used to drive his plot.
It is hard to believe that Kalyan as deputy chief minister is not aware that his dissatisfaction over the performance of a minister should be addressed in the NDA forum or when he meets the minister or the chief minister personally.
Let us just go back to what Pawan Kalyan had said: “If I become the home minister, the situation would be different. If law and order are allowed to deteriorate like this I may have to take over the home portfolio from you (Anita). UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s treatment is right for those who are committing crimes against women. You (Anita) take more responsibility. If you don’t, I will have to take your responsibility.”
His tone suggested that he meant what he was saying.
Then look at the response of the Home Minister in Anantapur, which is expected of her anyway: “Pawan Kalyan did not say I have failed as Home Minister. I am also a victim of social media. I feel too ashamed to send the social media posts against me to my police officers to investigate. They are so indecent and objectionable.”
The home minister also said: “I dare the Opposition to prove that Pawan Kalyan had said I had failed. His comments were an expression of his pain that crimes against women are rising. The blood of any one would boil if one sees the kind of content that is being posted on social media. In fact he is supporting me in my work.”
The Telugu Desam Party sought to downplay Kalyan’s outbursts. The party leaders said that his concern for women against whom crimes are being committed should not be interpreted as some kind of a revolt against the state government.
Speaking to South First, TDP national spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram said: “Our Home Minister Anita has responded to Pawan Kalyan’s comments. They constitute our stand. Her statement should suffice.”
It is an open secret that Kalyan who won all the 21 seats he contested with 100 percent strike rate, insisted on becoming the deputy chief minister because he apparently did not want Lokesh in between him and the chief minister. In retrospect, he may have repented his decision to settle for 21 seats, but he so far has not showed it.
Ahead of elections, gloom lay pall-like over the TDP and Jana Sena. They were not sure what the verdict would be and how YS Jagan Mohan Reddy would take the battle against both of them if he wins the elections.
In fact, Kalyan became the good Samaritan for Chandrababu Naidu when he was sent to jail by the YSRCP government. After visiting Naidu at the Rajamahendravaram central prison, he came out and unilaterally announced alliance with the TDP, not bothering what the consequences would be, as he was still part of the NDA and BJP was at that time averse to having TDP under its umbrella.
Kalyan thus became TDP’s saviour whose spirits were at its lowest ebb. It even did not bother contesting elections in neighbouring Telangana in December last year. Kalyan lifted the spirits of the TDP cadres by defending Naidu and vowing to continue the fight against Jagan, teaming up with him.
Though the BJP leaders initially looked as though they had swallowed a bee watching Kalyan going in defence of Naidu, they finally relented when the BJP top leadership decided to have Naidu on its side, though a little reluctantly.
In hindsight, it now appears that the BJP took the best decision, as Naidu had emerged as saviour of the NDA at the centre. A leader who sought support from BJP for his survival suddenly found himself in a position to save the NDA at the national level. The BJP is now grateful to Naidu and also Kalyan who helped the two parties smoke the peace pipe and come together.
Now, Kalyan does not appear to be one living out of Naidu’s munificence. From day 1, he has been acting independently, taking his own decisions on projecting himself as a leader. If Naidu had felt uncomfortable, no one knows, as he never showed it. But Naidu and Kalyan began being seen less and less together, each one has his own agenda as far as governance is concerned.
Kalyan, who suddenly found inspiration in Sanatana Dharma after the Tirupati laddu controversy, went on the rampage.
He went on a deeksha and on the final day, climbed the steps to the Tirumala hills, though he found the journey arduous. Later he addressed a huge public meeting where he revealed himself as a leader in pursuit of Sanatana Dharma.
In the entire exercise, Naidu was nowhere to be seen endorsing his path nor making any comment on Sanatana Dharma.
After winning the Assembly elections, it is said Kalyan, to ward off the possibility of Naidu’s son Lokesh becoming the deputy chief minister, pitched in for the post and Naidu had to yield considering his contribution for the stupendous success of the party in the elections. After becoming the deputy chief minister, Kalyan has been acting as a leader of his own right.
After his eloquence on Sanatana Dharma at Tirupati and his “admonition” of Home Minister Anita on Monday at Pithapuram, Kalyan has sent clear signals to Naidu that he is a force to reckon with.
His high octane speech in Pithapuram, though in defence of a girl who voiced her concern over the rising tide of crimes against women, raised the elemental question — whether he was trying to position himself as equal to Naidu and not as his deputy.
He had said that if necessary, he would take the home portfolio from Anita if she does not act tough with the criminals, making him look more like a chief minister rather than a deputy chief minister.
It is the prerogative of the chief minister as to who should be in his cabinet and which portfolio has to be allocated to whom. A minister or deputy chief minister cannot take away the portfolio of another minister just like that.
Kalyan, according to analysts, is aiming to emerge as a top leader and become Jana Sena-BJP chief minister candidate in the future.
“He appears set on becoming an alternative to Chandrababu Naidu in the Jana Sena-BJP formation. That is the reason why he is questioning the government while being in the government,” said political analyst Prof DAR Subrahmaniam.
Now that Kalyan appears to have crossed the line, it will be interesting to watch how the workers of the two parties would react.
Already there have been clashes between TDP and Jana Sena workers in coastal districts on flimsy and trivial grounds. Angry exchanges of words are being witnessed with one group accusing the other of not giving the importance they deserve.
Making matters worse, some YSRCP leaders are joining the Jana Sena. This is heading to opening up of several battlefronts. The Jana Sena and TDP workers, while fighting among themselves, would now have to fight with YSRCP workers who were their bitter rivals when the latter was in power.
It is common knowledge that Jana Sena workers are very militant unlike those of the TDP. They may not like if the TDP begins trolling Jana Sena, though it has not started yet, even as Kalyan continues to act independent of the leadership of the government.
Naidu is watching the unfolding of the scenario with stoic silence. How and whether he can tame Kalyan will be interesting to watch.
(Edited by Ananya Rao)
