Naidu stooping to new low for sympathy: AP minister Kodali Nani

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh (AP) civil supplies minister Kodali Venkateswara Rao on Thursday slammed the Telugu Desam Party chief, Chandrababu Naidu, and accused him of “stooping to a new low” for gaining public sympathy.

Rao accused Naidu of dragging his family into politics, “to gain sympathy” while touring flood-affected areas in Andhra Pradesh (AP). He criticized Naidu for trying to gain mileage by politicizing the floods, which wreaked havoc across parts of the state last week, especially in Tirupati.

Speaking to the media, he said that state chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was closely monitoring the relief measures in flood-affected areas of Rayalseema and Nellore districts through elected representatives and officials, by conducting review meetings. “The chief minister will visit the flood-affected areas, once the floods recede,” he said.

While asserting that Nara Bhuvaneshwari (Naidu’s wife) was not mentioned in the assembly, he accused Naidu of “creating a nuisance” by dragging her name into the issue for “political gains and public sympathy”. “As a responsible opposition leader he should list out his demands on the immediate relief measures to be taken in flood-affected areas, but he has been making political speeches during his tour,” added Rao.

Rao also lashed out at Naidu for reportedly promising to solve the problems of the flood victims, only once he becomes chief minister of the state, after two and half years. He also lambasted Naidu for ignorantly blaming the state government for the Annamayya project disaster.

Naidu’s emotional outburst

 In an emotional outburst, on November 19, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu cried for at least a few minutes, before announcing that he would not enter the assembly again until he becomes the chief minister.

His episode was reportedly a result of legislators from the ruling party abusing his wife.