The ruling YSRCP these days is worried about MP RaghuramakrishnamRaju or even Jagan’s bête noire Chandrababu Naidu. It is more worried about an MLA from its own party. This MLA is so low profile that not even his own party leaders outside his constituency know him. He is a silent, blink-and-you-miss kind of person who has never been in the news.
This MLA is Chenna Keshava Reddy of Yemmiganuru. Though a four-time MLA, he is largely unknown because of his low profile attitude. He is not known to make comments or address press meets. But, this MLA has suddenly made comments that have sent tremors across the state. The YSRCP Is now worried that his comments might offend carefully nurtured soft Hindu and pro-Dalit image of the YSRCP.
During the recent Bakrid festival of the Muslims, Hindu organizations have strongly opposed the butchering of cows citing the anti-cow slaughter laws in the state and the country. This led to a communal clash, in which one person suffered injuries. Soon after this incident, the usually silent and non-reactive MLA called for a press conference and spoke in support of cow slaughter. He said the anti-cow slaughter laws were outdated and that they should be repealed. This has led to a state-wide furore. This was a shock to YS Jagan, who was very systematically trying to wipe off the anti-Hindu image using some swamijis.
But, he also knows that it is impossible to make Chennakeshava Reddy eat his own words. So, he kept quiet and reportedly instructed his party leaders not to comment on Chenna Keshava Reddy’s anti-cow worship comments. Last month too, Chenna Keshava Reddy criticized the Dalits for intruding into public land in the name of the construction of a church. This has angered the Dalit voters and the party is worried about this too.
It feels comments by Chenna Keshava Reddy might damage the party’s image and could hurt the carefully built image of being a soft Hindu. However, it also knows that Chenna Keshava Reddy is a tough nut to crack and it is difficult to make him retract his comments. So, it is simply waiting for the controversy to subside.
