Pawan Kalyan defends return to acting in Andhra meeting, hits out at critics

Actor-politician and Jana Sena Party Chief Pawan Kalyan opened up about his return to acting in films on Monday stating that he would be involved in movies and politics simultaneously. He had declared earlier that he was giving up acting for public service. At a road show in Krishna district in support of farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent Cyclone Nivar, Pawan drew an analogy between himself and several politicians who engaged in business and trade as well as a career in politics. 

"What (political opponents) they say whenever they talk. They say I am doing movies and politics. Yes, are they doing service to the country?" claimed Pawan Kalyan at a roadshow in Krishna district's Gudivada town. He attacked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in innuendo-laced statements that he doesn't own cement factories, mining operations, newspapers and others.

"They don't have thousands of crores (of rupees). All the politicians are like Mahatma Gandhi. Poor people, they don't have money. They are doing politics by just wearing a dhoti," mocked the actor. He criticised his opponents that they can allegedly plunder thousands of crores of rupees but make it an issue when he acts in movies.

The Jana Sena Party chief also demanded CM Jagan to issue a compensation of Rs 35,000 to farmers while stating that his party would take a ‘Chalo Assembly’ call with the farmers to put pressure on the government.

Though Pawan Kalyan's supporters publicised that he gave up movies for politics earlier, many of them quickly defended his decision to return to movies after suffering utter defeat in the elections, claiming that it is his livelihood.

Later, he attacked the local MLA and Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Sri Venkateshwar Rao and made fun of his nickname, along with a couple of other ministers in the ruling party who share the same nickname, ‘Nani’. Pawan Kalyan mocked that there are too many Nanis in the incumbent party and directed them to inform Jagan Mohan Reddy to hasten monetary relief for farmers who suffered losses in the recent heavy rains or face the wrath of JSP and its supporters.

"Who is the local MLA here, Nani. Okay, there are too many Nanis in YSRCP. I cannot understand which Nani it is, can't remember also, who cares, there are so many Nanis, he is another one," mocked Kalyan in a belittling tone and tenor, feigning ignorance as if he doesn't know the local legislator's name.

It remains to be seen how Rao will react, as he is reputed for his scathing attacks on critics.

Though he launched his own party after his elder brother Chiranjeevi's party, Prajarajyam, was merged with the Congress in 2012, where the latter went on to enjoy a central ministerial berth, Kalyan did not contest the 2014 elections.

Instead, he lent support to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) led by Nara Chandrababu Naidu, which he vociferously opposed as the head of Prajarajyam's youth wing, Yuvarajyam.

However, in the run up to the 2019 elections, Kalyan projected himself as the chief ministerial hopeful for Andhra Pradesh, distancing himself from TDP as well as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

After losing elections in both the places, Bhimavaram and Gajuwaka, which he chose for strategic reasons, Kalyan's JSP sailed alone for a short time, before embracing the BJP yet again.