Kapu issue triggered a war of words between the ruling TDP and the opposition YSR on the eve of proposed Kapu Ikyagarjana in Tuni, East Godavari district tomorrow. While the Public Meeting is planned to highlight the demand for Backward class status to Kapu, a land owning community from coastal Andhra, Opposition party sees in it a great opportunity to strike at the ruling party. For chief minister Chandrababu Naidu, who set up a commission to recommend on the eligibility of the caste to become a member of Backward classes, the meeting is encouraged by YSRC to foment political disturbance in the state. It is a open secret that both, ruling TDP and Opposition YSRCP are trying to move closer to the caste conscious community of Kapus for votes in 2019. Similarly, leaders like former minister Mudragada Padmanabham, who have been sidelined in the post-bifurcation politics, want to use Kapu issue for their political rebirth.
Kapu leaders are mobilizing the caste members on a e massive scale for the public meeting demanding categorization of the caste as backward so that Kapus can avail BC reservations. Mudragada Padmanabham is said to be the force behind the Ikyagarjana. Smelling opposition politics in the meeting, Chief minister Chandrababu Naidu impatiently on Friday said the meeting was an attempt by YSR Congress to create political unrest in the state. Today, Andhra Pradesh TDP president Kalavenkata Rao, reiterated his boss’ opinion and said the YSRC was trying to create caste-wars in the state.
Similarly,deputy chief minister and Home minister Nimmakayala Chinna Rajappa cautioned Kapus against falling prey to the machinations of the Opposition YSR party. “There is nothing wrong if Kapus organized a meeting. But, the Tuni meeting appears to have been incited by YSRC” Chinna Rajappa said.
Kalavenkatrao and Chinnarajapp (both Kapus) assured the Kapu community not to harbor any misgivings about the government’s intention and they would very soon be categorized as BCs.
To counter TDP’s criticism, YSRCP also fielded two Kapu leaders- Prof Ummareddy Venkateswarlu and Ambati Rambabu. Taking objection to the charge that YSRC was behind the organization of Tuni meeting, Prof Ummareddy said chief minister was stooping too low to attribute motives to YSRC ” It illbehoves the chief minister to make such baseless allegation. The Kapu meeting is a non-party affair,” he said.
He advised chief minister to desist from insulting Kapus further . Ummareddy said the meeting was planned for the secure future and welfare of the Kapus of the state.
Meanwhile Kapu State Committee on Saturday stated that TDP government was creating hurdles at every step for the proposed ‘Kapu Ikyagarjana’ scheduled on January 31 in Tuni. “TDP won the support of Kapus by promising reservations for the Kapu community under BC status .But after coming to power, the party is delaying the decision,” the Kapu state committee said.
It also alleged that the police are threatening the Kapus leaders, who planned to attend the Garjana and had imposed restrictions on the movement of lorries and jeeps. Instructing the organizers to park the vehicles five kilometers away from the event venue was meant to discourage the people from attending the meeting.
Kapus protested at the Elluru RTC depot on Saturday stating that the buses were not being given on hire for the rally. The TDP government had ordered Kapu leaders in the state government not to attend the meet, they alleged.
The meeting is organized on 80 acres land near Velama Kothuru and will be led by Mudragada Padmanabham, his son and few other Kapu leaders. It was estimated that as many as five lakh people will be attending this meeting.
The organizers have urged the community members to ensure that at least one member from each Kapu family attends the meeting without fail. The prominent persons attending the meeting include Dasari Narayana Rao, Leader of Opposition in AP Legislative Council C. Ramachandraiah, Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao, TRS leader K Kesava Rao, former Minister Botsa Satyanarayana, Ummareddy Venkateswarlu, Ambati Rambabu, MLA’s, MLC’s and MP’s.
