TDP Dendulu MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar is a regular name in controversies. His image has become easy target for the Jagan media. It is now actively spreading a hate campaign against the MLA. The local YCP leaders have alleged that Prabhakar had commented badly about dalits. The comment was: ‘You are dalits. Where is the need for you to do politics?’ Following this, there is a lot of demands for filing a case against the MLA for insulting the dalits.

On his part, Chintamaneni Prabhakar said that his opponents were using these cheap tactics as they were unable to tackle him politically. The issue took a curious turn as the Jagan media are trying to make this controversy a state-wide issue so that the YCP would derive electoral advantage. Efforts are also being made to bring the dalit and people’s organisations across the state to highlight the anti-dalit remark issue.

YCP Vijayawada Central coordinator and former MLA Malladi Vishnu has even gone to the extent of conducting ‘ksheerabhishekam’ (milk purification) at the statue of Ambedkar in the city. The hate campaign has taken the already deteriorating standards in election campaigning to a new low. It is clearly evident YCP is trying to make such community and caste related issues big controversies to benefit in elections.

G.Ravikiran