Kakinada: There is strong opposition to, and disappointment at, film actor and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan’s stand on the demand for reservations for Kapus.
Community leaders and fans are sore at Pawan Kalyan for his indifference to the indefinite hunger strike undertaken by Kapunadu leader Mudragada Padmanabham at his residence at Kirlampudi village in East Godavari district. They expressed their anger at the actor for not taking any initiative to exert pressure on Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to meet the community's demands.
“Pawan Kalyan urged the community to vote for the TD-BJP alliance in the 2014 elections, but is now doing nothing to promote the cause of the Kapus,” said K. Veerababu of Kirlampudi Pawan Kalyan Fans Association.
He said that after the Tuni incident, the actor had made “unsatisfactory” statements about the Kapus’ cause.
Karanam Pedakapu, a Kapu youth, said that Pawan Kalyan was only helping Mr Naidu when necessary, but ignoring his own community.
Kapu leaders said that the TD would have lost the election in 2014 had the community not voted for it in response to Pawan Kalyan’s call.
Nalla Bujji, a Kapu leader, said that it was now the actor’s responsibility to intervene in the matter and persuade Mr Naidu to concede Mr Padmanabham's demands for the welfare of the Kapus.
Elsewhere, some BC leaders, such as Pithani Ramudu, said Mr Padmanabham was striving not only for Kapus but other castes as well. “Pawan Kalyan should come forward to exert pressure on Naidu who is trying to cheat the Kapu community by sidetracking the issue,” he said.
A. Durga Prasad Naidu of Prathipadu said that Pawan Kalyan should not turn traitor now as many Kapus had acted on his call. If Pawan is playing a double game, he would get a bitter answer from the community, he warned.
