Legendary actor, TDP founder and former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao's family, including popular actors Balakrishna and Jr NTR, came in support of opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu and his wife Bhuvaneswari, while condemning the comments of YSRCP legislators.
Alleging that some ruling party MLAs made unsavory remarks “assassinating the character” of his wife Bhuvaneshwari, Naidu walked out of the Andhra Pradesh assembly on Friday, vowing not to return till after the 2024 elections.
Later in a press conference telecast live on Telugu news channels, the three-time chief minister broke down in tears, saying that he was deeply hurt by the ruling party's abuses “targeting his wife who is completely disconnected from politics.”
Nara Bhuvaneswari is the Vice-Chairperson and managing director of Heritage foods.
Bhuvaneswari is the daughter of NTR, a matinee idol-turned-politician who formed the first non-Congress government in united Andhra Pradesh. Considered a Telugu icon, there is a demand to confer him with the Bharat Ratna award posthumously.
Soon after the episode, TDP cadres and NTR family supporters took to the streets objecting to “NTR's daughter's humiliation.”
On Saturday, the NTR family also came out with sharp reactions to the YSRCP's MLAs' alleged derogatory comments. “They made personal remarks against my sister who is Naidu's wife. They have used cheap language and crude diction. Their behavior raised doubts whether it was state Assembly or an animal shed," Balakrishna said, adding that TDP leaders and cadres are observing restraint respecting the civil line taken by 'my elderly brother-in-law Naidu'.
“Give and take respect is our motto. We will not tolerate such cheap comments again. Be warned, no system can save you once we begin a counter attack," the Hindupur TDP MLA said, sitting flanked by several of NTR family members in Hyderabad.
Naidu's son and former minister Lokesh is married to Balakrishna's daughter Brahmani.
Jr NTR, son of Late Harikrishna, Bhuvaneswari's brother, also released a video. “I am deeply pained by yesterday's events. Setting aside public issues and resorting to such snide remarks against women indicates anarchy,” the popular actor named after NTR said while appealing for an end to such deprecating behaviour.
Actors Kalyan Ram, Nara Rohit too condemned “the disrespectful comments.”
Former union minister and BJP leader D Purandeswari also reportedly spoke against the personal character assassination attempts against her sister.
Bhuvaneswari's another sister Lokeswari said she was greatly pained at her sister being dragged into needless politics. “Assembly is like a temple in democracy where such cheap comments were uttered. Chandrababu Naidu never used a word against Jaganmohan Reddy's mother, wife or sister.”
Nandamuri Ramakrishna, another NTR son warned the YSRCP leaders not to test their family's patience.
Several other Telugu film industry personalities like K Nagababu, brother of actors Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, director Raghavendra Rao spoke against the distasteful remarks.
Some Telangana politicians like state Congress working president Jayaprakash Reddy spoke disapprovingly of the utterances in the AP assembly.
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