After Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s eventful visit to Telangana on Sunday, 21 August, a gesture made by Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party president Bandi Sanjay Kumar has gone viral on social media and invoked strong reactions.
As Amit Shah walked out after visiting the Ujjaini Mahakali Temple, a video clip showed Bandi Sanjay rushing ahead to pick up Shah’s footwear with his hands and placing them in front of his feet.
This act has been heavily criticised by leaders of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Congress in the state as well as many others, who said it indicated a “slavery mindset” in the BJP and called it an affront to the self-respect of Telangana.
'BJP Telangana Leaders' Behaviour Is the Pinnacle of Slavery!'
Responding to the video, TRS working president and Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao, in a tweet, said that the people of Telangana were observing the “Gujarati slaves” who were carrying Delhi’s slippers, and they were also observing the leader (indicating Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) who has sparked fear among the leaders of Delhi.
“The people of Telangana, across communities, are ready to push back the attempt to denigrate Telangana's self-respect, and to uphold the state’s pride. Jai Telangana!” KTR tweeted.
The Telangana Congress too criticised Bandi Sanjay, saying he had placed Telangana’s self-esteem at the feet of a former ‘tadipaar’. “BJP Telangana leaders’ behaviour is the pinnacle of slavery! Is this how lowly your lives are in the BJP! And if the Telangana BJP president is carrying sandals, wonder what the rest of them have to do?”
After offering prayers at the temple, Shah addressed a public meeting in Munugode, about 85 km from Hyderabad, on Sunday evening. Munugode is set to go for a by-poll following the resignation of Congress legislator Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy. Popular actor Jr NTR, former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's grandson, who acted in the recent blockbuster film RRR, also met Shah on Sunday night.
Several social media users pointed out that it was ironic that Bandi Sanjay met Jr NTR amid the BJP’s praise of his film RRR, after previously having threatened to set fire to theatres screening the film. Sanjay’s remark had come after a promotional video of the film showed Jr NTR, who played tribal leader Komaram Bheem in the film, wearing a skullcap. However, there was no subsequent row over the movie after its release.
In the 2009 Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections before the state's bifurcation, Jr NTR had campaigned for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP). Later, he distanced himself from politics to focus on his film career.
(Published in arrangement with The News Minute.)
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