Telugu Desam MP N Sivaprasad, known for his antics, was the special attraction today at the parliament in New Delhi. Dressing himself as Kuchela, the poverty stricken childhood friend of Sri krishna in Mahabharat, Sivaprasad sought to demonstrate the growing unrest in Telugu Desam party over the apthy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards his promises.
The actor-turned politician appeals to Krishna (Narendra Modi) not to ignore what he had promised to the people of Andhra Pradesh during the 2014 election campaign and on the occasion of foundation-stone laying ceremony for new capital Amaravati. In biting sarcasm, Sivaprasad listed out the broken promises of Prime Minister Modi and urged him to fulfill all the promises. If the promises were fulfilled, the Chittoor MP said, the Telugu people revere him like Namo Modi on the lines Namo Narayana and Namo Krishna.
” You promised special status to Andhra Pradesh. You promised help to build the new capital and you also promised more funds to cope with the difficulties arising out of division. Where are these promises,” Sivaprasad asked reciting a lyric. He did not even spare union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu for his failure in getting things done. He said Naidu was also not to be seen around.
This is not the first time that Sivaprasad used theatrics to draw the attention of union government to the problems of Andhra Pradesh and centre’s attitude.
Even in the previous Lok Sabha, when the Seemandhra movement was at its height, Sivaprasad used his theatrical skills to depict what harm the bifurcation of state would cause to Telugu people. On one occasion, he enacted Sri Krishna Rayabharam, he donning the role of Sri Krishna. Belting poems from popular Telugu play Rayabharam, he said he came to house to mediate between Pandavas ( TDP had five MPs then) and Kauravs, the UPA government. On another occasion he lashed himself with a whip to protest the suspension of Seemandhra MPs from Lok Sabha.
He enacted Satyaharischandra play on another occasion. Finally, it turned out that his protests drew more onlookers than the staging of dharna on the steps of parliament or at Gandhi’s statue.
