Sujana likens stir with pig races, invites big backlash
Union minister of state Y.S. ‘Sujana’ Chowdary came under fire from politicians and in the social media for making an unsavoury comparison between the protests seeking special category status for Andhra Pradesh, and cockfights and pig races.
When the press drew his attention to protest at Visakhapatnam, which was modelled on the lines of the agitating demanding revoking the ban on jallikattu at Marina Beach in Chennai, Mr Chowdary said, “If people want to get inspiration from Jallikattu, they can happily go and participate in Jallikattu, or for that matter cockfights or pig races (Kolla Pandelu and Pandula Pandelu).”
Mr Chowdary is known as the Chief Minister’s ‘heart and soul’ in Delhi, and the man who worked overtime with the Centre to provide a special package for the state instead of the promised special category status. He has often said that special status was “a closed chapter”.
During Republic Day celebrations at the Telugu Desam office here, he had declared that he was prepared for a public debate on what exactly special status meant.
Reacting sharply to his comments, actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan tweeted that such comments, comparing special status with pig races, was painful and would provoke the youth. The backlash on social media platforms was severe. Some questioned the Chief Minister about what made him send Mr Chowdary as Union minister. Another reminded Mr Chowdary that everyone had the right to freedom of peaceful association and to fight for rights and causes.
Another person tweeted that there was a difference between “status” and a “package”. There were more angry tweets too. Actor Chinni Krishna called him a swine and threatened to launch pig races starting with him. Tollywood’s support to Thursday’s silent protest demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh was confined to social media.
Only Sampoornesh Babu, an actor in a lowbudget films from Telangana state, and producer Thammareddy Bharadhwaja turned up at Vizag. They were detained by the police at Vuda park, when they tried to go to RK Beach.
Similar to other actors, Janasena chief Pawan Kalyan remained confined to the Twitter world.