Andhra Pradesh began with smaller number of Coronavirus cases when Telangana and Maharashtra were the worst hit because of location of international airports there. AP was in a way fortunate due to reduced number of foreign visitors and NRIs following stoppage of multi-crore projects like Amaravati Capital, Polavaram, discouragement to industries, cancellation of PPAs, etc. However, there was a turnaround in the past few days as AP began reporting sudden rise in cases. ABN Radha Krishna in his latest Kothapaluku comments that deterioration of COVID situation in AP is because of all-round complacency among the ruling party as well as the people of the state. In this, the people are not to be blamed. Those in the government have made such statements that have caused different sections of society to take the deadly disease easy. It comes and goes, they initially thought. But it has come to stay, forcing even the most adamant of us all to stay at home to stay safe.

RK says that the YSRCP MLAs and Ministers are just singing ‘Anthega’ chorus for whatever CM Jaganmohan Reddy talks. They do not care whether the issue is serious or not. They do not think nor apply logic. Once Jagan gives them a line like ‘it is a small fever’, the ruling party leaders start echoing the same in nook and corner of the state. They boldly go to people and hold crowd gatherings. All this has made AP people also bold to ignore the virus threat for which a price is being paid now. It is such a pity that Jagan and Co are so arrogantly negligent while even KCR has changed his stand and started taking Corona very seriously, saying ‘if we live, we can survive at least by eating Balusu plant leaves’. Balusu is a wild plant whose leaves are given as food for animals.