Hyderabad: Greater than three many years after NTR College of Well being Sciences, named after former chief minister and Telugu Desam Social gathering (TDP) founder N.T. Rama Rao, got here into existence in Andhra Pradesh, present Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has determined to rename it after his personal late father, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), resulting in a significant controversy within the state.
The choice to vary the Vijayawada institute’s title by the Jagan-led YSR Congress Social gathering (YSRCP) has predictably drawn the ire of the opposition TDP, which is presently headed by N. Chandrababu Naidu, probably the most vocal critics of the transfer. Nevertheless, the renaming has additionally attracted surprising criticism from Jagan’s personal sister Y.S. Sharmila and acceptance from a few of NTR’s members of the family.
The matter has even led to a warfare of printed posters on public partitions — together with some that take a dig at Chandrababu Naidu over a ‘coup’ he staged in opposition to NTR, who was additionally his father-in-law, almost three many years in the past.
Final week, printouts of a newspaper frontpage from 1995 appeared on partitions in Vijayawada, the political hub of Andhra Pradesh. The headline was ‘We don’t want NTR’— a quote attributed to Naidu when he dethroned NTR in August that yr.
Again then, Naidu and a band of MLAs had revolted in opposition to NTR, who deliberate handy over the reins of the TDP to his second spouse N. Lakshmi Parvathi. On account of Naidu’s machinations, NTR was ousted not solely from the CM’s chair however from the celebration.
Chandrababu Naidu’s posters in opposition to NTR go viral in Vijayawada#ChandrababuNaiduposters #ChandrababuPostersagainstNTR #Vijayawada #TDP #AndhrapradeshNews #Chandrababu #ViralNewshttps://t.co/kky2W3YzsE
— andhrawishesh (@Andhra_Wishesh) September 26, 2022
To not be outdone, Jagan detractors put up posters of the CM’s spouse Y.S. Bharathi. These photos featured a barcode scanner and the pun “BharathiPay” (spinning off the fee platform BharatPe) and the phrase “liquor cash accepted right here”.
TDP copies Karnataka Congress’s #PayCM marketing campaign and makes use of it in opposition to YS Jagan’s spouse as #BharathiPay. pic.twitter.com/QtAm75FPmg
— Precise India (@ActualIndia) September 26, 2022
Right here’s a take a look at how the controversy began, the Chandrababu Naidu issue, and the way the incident has revealed variations of opinion inside each the NTR and YSR political households.
Additionally learn: Cornering YSRCP, alliance in Telangana — what’s in it for TDP, BJP if Naidu returns to NDA fold
How did the controversy start?
The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Meeting handed a invoice final week to vary the title of NTR College of Well being Sciences to Dr YSR College of Well being Sciences. The TDP, which opposed the invoice, created a ruckus within the Home, and 17 of its members have been suspended for the complete day.
Justifying the choice, the chief minister stated the transfer was not supposed to disrespect NTR, however to offer due credit score to late CM YSR, who’s Jagan’s father, since he was thought of to have introduced vital enhancements to the healthcare sector in united Andhra Pradesh. YSR was a practising physician earlier than he joined politics, Jagan identified.
One of the vital heated reactions in opposition to the invoice got here from TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu who stated the transfer was an try to defame NTR. He additionally met Andhra Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, who can also be the chancellor of the college, and appealed to him to reject the invoice, which he termed as unethical and irrelevant.
Naidu additional identified that of the 32 medical faculties within the state, 16 have been established underneath TDP rule. In the course of the YSRCP’s three-and-half-year rule to this point, permission has been granted solely to 3 faculties, and the development of those faculties hasn’t but been accomplished, Naidu claimed final week.
Naidu, notably, was instrumental in renaming the medical college after NTR.
Established throughout NTR’s authorities in 1986, the institute was initially often called the Andhra Pradesh College of Well being Sciences. It was renamed when Naidu was CM in 1998 as a homage to NTR, who had handed away in 1996. Nevertheless, as talked about earlier, Naidu was perceived by a lot of NTR’s supporters to have ‘betrayed’ the older chief by taking up the TDP in 1995.
Various reactions from NTR’s members of the family
Brickbats in addition to reward have been directed in opposition to YSR from totally different members of NTR’s household because the determination to rename the college.
NTR’s son, actor-turned politician and TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna, strongly objected to Jagan’s transfer. Taking to social media, he stated NTR was not only a title that might be modified however represented “tradition and civilisation… to the Telugu race he’s a spine”.
NTR was a celebrity within the Telugu movie trade and emerged as a political stalwart when he began the Telugu Desam Social gathering in 1982 and shot to energy in simply 9 months, throwing the Congress out of energy. One of many essential slogans for NTR’s TDP was to guard the self-respect of Telugu tradition, which resonated with many. He was additionally the president of the Nationwide Entrance, a coalition led by the Janata Dal, which toppled Rajiv Gandhi’s authorities on the Centre and took over in 1989.
NTR’s stardom, the characters he performed, and his political persona all mixed to make him a larger-than-life determine. He was extensively seen because the ‘king’ of the Telugu movie trade properly into the 80s. A few of his hottest performances have been in mythological movies, the place he performed roles similar to that of Lord Krishna and Lord Venkateshwara. For lakhs of his admirers, these roles made him one thing of a godly determine himself.
In the meantime, NTR’s grandson — N. T. Rama Rao Jr.— who can also be a star within the Telugu movie trade and presently using on the wave of his newest hit RRR, appeared extra sanguine concerning the college’s title change. On Twitter, he stated that each NTR and YSR had earned their place within the hearts of individuals and renaming the college wouldn’t improve or detract from anybody’s recognition.
As for NTR’s widow Lakshmi Parvathi, she praised Jagan for his “magnanimity” in renaming Krishna district (earlier this yr) after NTR and stated that this was a extra significant signal of respect than a college’s title. She additionally lashed out at Chandrababu Naidu whereas addressing a press meet.
“NTR used to typically say that Mr. Naidu would backstab him any day. Would Mr. Naidu get two posts within the celebration if I wielded energy?” she stated.
Why did YSR’s sister object?
In an surprising response, Jagan’s sister Y.S. Sharmila voiced her displeasure on the determination to vary the college’s title, and stated the transfer was an insult to NTR’s legions of admirers. She stated her father YSR was a beloved chief in his personal proper and there was no want to vary an institute’s title to bolster his stature.
This isn’t the primary time brother and sister haven’t been on the identical web page.
Sharmila, with out Jagan’s help, floated her personal political celebration — the YSR Telangana Social gathering— final yr within the neighbouring state of Telangana.
A spokesperson of the Andhra Pradesh authorities, throughout a political meet earlier than Sharmila’s celebration’s launch, had clarified that there was no private rift between the siblings however that they’d ideological variations, including that Jagan had at all times suggested in opposition to a celebration in Telangana however Sharmila had gone forward along with her plans anyway.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)
Additionally learn: Jagan’s mom Vijayamma quits his YSRCP to assist daughter in Telangana, denies rift in household