Andhra Pradesh Neta's Natter
The rash and negligent driving of Sanjush, the MP's son, claimed life of an employee in a private mall on August 16 and the sequence of events clearly establish that attempts were made at some level to wriggle him out.
VIP bail-out for MP's son a shocker
The nexus between the police and politicians - particularly when the latter land in trouble - will never cease to exist, and the tragic aftermath witnessed in the fatal accident involving Andhra Pradesh Jana Sena Rajya Sabha member Lingamaneni Ramesh's son stands as yet another testimony to it. The rash and negligent driving of Sanjush, the MP's son, claimed life of an employee in a private mall on August 16 and the sequence of events clearly establish that attempts were made at some level to wriggle him out. First, the police team accompanied Sanjush to the hospital where the victim was shifted and allowed him to leave the place. The FIR was registered without the surname and father's name of the accused. The issue kept under wraps for almost five days and would have been given a silent burial but for the news breaking out on social media, with videos surfacing of the accused coming out of the car and taking the victim in his car to the hospital. Whispers doing the rounds are that a mining baron tried his best to lobby for replacing the accused with another driver but a strict no from an IPS officer in the chain of command led to the registering of the FIR against Sanjush.
Better sense strikes after name-calling bout
Heated debates and discussions tend to become normal part of proceedings in a legislature, but sometimes, enthusiasm to score one over another, can get the better of those taking part in such debates. Such was the case in the AP Legislative Council with words like 'daddamma' (incompetent person) and 'asmbothu' (bull) getting chucked at each other by the ruling and opposition sides as they battled each other on alleged anomalies in the conduct of Mega DSC exam for recruitment of teachers. It all started with minister K. Atchannaidu calling leader of the opposition Botsa Satyanarayana a 'daddamma' for failing to conduct DSC when YSRC was in power. The reactions were instant with the opposite side calling Atchannaidu an 'ambothu'. It was later left for Botsa to request Council chairman Koyye Moshen Raju to withdraw these remarks from the records.
BJP MLA still unwilling to let go of the old
In sharp contrast to the celebratory launch of flight services at the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport in Bhogapuram, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's praise was met with dissent at Visakhapatnam Airport. BJP MLA and Assembly floor leader Vishnu Kumar Raju, representing Visakhapatnam North, minced no words declaring that the day will go down as a black day in history. Raju's lament was that suspension of services at the old airport in Vizag meant an end to aviation history. But with the new airport now in action, it remains to be seen if Raju's vow to fight for resumption of domestic flights from the old airport will take off smoothly, or fly into rough weather.
I-Day goof-ups spoil the mood
Independence Day is a festival for every Indian and reflecting this celebratory spirit were several sights that caught the eyes in Andhra Pradesh. The one that made most rounds in the form of a video clip was dancing by forest staff, in uniform, to the tune of popular movie songs, but that soon caught the attention of senior department officials with an inquiry launched into the song and dance sequence right next to the National Flag. Meanwhile, in Visakhapatnam, the Flag was hoisted upside down, while a man riding pillion on the motorbike of Union minister Rammohan Nadu was seen carrying the Tricolour upside down.
Bhumana vs Srinivas: Plumbing new depths
Tirupati's political rivalry between YSRC's Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and Telugu Desam's J.B. Srinivas is looking less like a political fight and more like a race to see who can stoop lower. Following allegations traded by the two leaders, their followers have now taken up the cudgels, and are doing all the dirty talking, holding press meets, hurling personal attacks and using language that has little place in politics. That this is happening in the famed temple town, on hallowed grounds is reportedly not going down well with the people who are beginning to ask if the temple town either deserves such aspiring leaders willing to go to any length for their political masters, or if the political masters actually care at all about where they are and what is being said.
Contributions from N. Vamsi Srinivas, Sampat G. Samritan, Aruna, K.M.P. Patnaik, Avinash P. Subramanyam