As the film star and Jana Sena party founder Pawan Kalyan continued his three-day yatra in Telangana to understand the problems of the people, his praise for Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has raised heckles for the Opposition leaders.
On day two of his yatra, he met party workers from Karimnagar, Nizamabad and Adilabad districts in Karimnagar city. Kalyan said he will do responsible politics and work for the welfare and development of the people of both Telugu States. “For me Telangana and Andhra Pradesh are not different, they are same,” he said.
Stressing that he will remain indebted to Telangana till his last breath, he said safeguarding the State is responsibility of everyone. “I am a person who does not go back on his commitment. I have already announced that the Jana Sena party will contest 2019 elections in the State and work to fulfil the aspirations of the youth and women,” he added.
He vowed that the Jana Sena Party will fight against corruption.
Kalyan launched his “Chalo Chalo re Chalo” yatra from Kondagutta in Jagtiyal district with declaration that he will like to play a constructive and positive role in politics. “I am not coming to active politics to create trouble or rift. Jana Sena party will play a constructive role,” he told the media. He chose the famous Hanuman temple at Kondagutta to start his first political tour in Telangana.
He announced that his first such yatra in Andhra Pradesh will be on January 27 in Anantapur district. “Later, I will visit the Ongole and tribal areas of Visakhapatanam to understand the problems”.
He rejected the criticism that Jana Sena will help the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti in Telangana by dividing the anti-incumbency votes. On Opposition’s criticism of his praise of the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, he said there was nothing wrong in it. “In 2014m, I had supported the Telugu Desam Party for the development of Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation,” he said.
He praised Chief Minister KCR as a smart leader and said that he met him to convey the New Year greetings.
But this bonhomie between the two erstwhile political opponents has left the leaders of Opposition Congress fuming. Sate Congress president N Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged there was a “hidden agenda” behind the film star’s visit to Telangana to help out the TRS in overcoming anti-incumbency votes.
Senior Congress leader V Hanumanth Rao said while jailing the mass movement leaders like Kodandaram and Manda Krishna Madiga, the Chief Minister was allowing film star-turned-politician to visit Telangana region.
“Pawan Kalyan is giving certificate of good governance to the Chief Minister who was running a dictatorial Government in the State,” he said.
Another film star-turned-politician and former MP Vijay Shanti of Congress also criticised Pawan Kalyan. “During the indefinite strike as part of Telangana agitation KCR had described Pawan Kalyan a tourist. How he has allowed the same tourist to visit Telangana?” she asked. She demanded that the people like Kodandaram who had fought for Telngana should also be allowed to visit the State.