Andhra Pradesh | Posted on Jan 25, 2012 at 12:24pm IST
It is statue politics in Andhra now
indianexpress Express News Service , The New Indian Express
HYDERABAD: Politics over statues has come alive again in the state at
a time when political parties and caste groups in the state are
struggling for their identity. While the political parties are trying
to strike a chord with the public by unveiling the statues of popular
leaders, Sunday's attack on the statues of Ambedkar and the subsequent
protests have become an issue of argument with Dalit communities
complaining of oppression by upper castes.
It was YSR Congress president YS Jaganmohan Reddy who went on a spree
of unveiling the statues of his father YS Rajasekhara Reddy.
The Kadapa MP is still installing statues of his father in every
corner of the state.
Though he claims that the statues are being put up by the admirers of
the late chief minister, his partymen admit that they pool in money
for the statues.
On an average, about 40 statues of YSR are being unveiled in each
district in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
The phenomenon is relatively rare in Telangana.
The TDP is adopting the same tactics and installing the statues of its
founder NT Rama Rao.
Within a month of announcing his intention to contest the next
election, NTR's son and actor Balakrishna has unveiled at least 10
statues in Visakhapatnam, Krishna and the two Godavari districts.
"People would easily connect with popular leaders like NTR and this
was the reason for installation of his statues.
However, unlike YSR's statues which were being installed without civic
permission, NTR statues are being installed by his admirers after
obtaining all prescribed permissions.
Balakrishna is only unveiling them," said a TDP leader.
Sources said that as Chandrababu Naidu did not want to give an
opportunity to his detractors for dethroning NTR and was therefore
unveiling NTR statues, Balakrishna was chosen to do the act apart from
striking a rapport with local leaders.
However, Naidu will inaugurate the statues of NTR at Nadukuru and
Bhairavapatnam in Krishna district during his visit on Wednesday.
This is probably for the first time that the TDP chief will be
unveiling statues of NTR after installing one at his native place
Naravaripalle in Chittoor district.
Though the precise reasons for vandalising the statues of Ambedkar at
Amalapuram on Sunday night are yet to be ascertained, the SC community
is viewing it as an attack on its identity by upper castes.
Kaka Wants Ambedkar Statues Monitored by a National Panel
Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister G Venkat
Swamy has demanded that the UPA government appoint a commission to
monitor Ambedkar statues in all parts of the country.
Talking with reporters along with his son G Vivekananda, MP, at his
residence here on Tuesday, the veteran leader said the proposed
national-level commission should inquire the demolition of the
national leader's statues at Amalapuram in East Godavari district on
Sunday night.
It should complete its inquiry in a time-bound manner and submit
report to the government.
Venkat Swamy, who had worked with Ambedkar, strongly condemned the
Amalapuram incident and urged all democratic forces to condemn the
incident in one voice.
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