Loud-mouth YSR Congress party leader and Andhra Pradesh state irrigation minister Ambati Rambabu on Friday kicked up a virtual caste war with his controversial tweet, following an attack on him by the Telugu Desam Party workers in Khammam.
Ambati, who went to Khammam on a personal work, were confronted by the TDP workers who questioned him for his alleged comments against party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s wife Bhuvaneshwari.
Referring to the `Nijam Gelavali’ (truth should prevail) yatra launched by Bhuvaneswari, Ambati commented that she should launch a movement calling for victory to corruption, victory to lies and injustice which may benefit them.
He alleged that Bhuvaneshwari had begun the yatra only to gain sympathy and asked her whether she was ready for a Central probe into their assets.
“If you seek the probe, truth will prevail,” he commented.
At Khammam, the TDP workers laid siege to Ambati and when he shouted at them, they tried to assault him with sticks. He left the place in hurry.
Later, Ambati posted on X, stating: “If you want to attack me with caste fanatics, remember that I, too, have the support of my caste.” He tagged TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh to his tweet.
Apparently, Ambati sought to project the attack on him as a caste war – between Kammas and Kapus. The tweet comes at a time when the Kamma-dominated TDP is forging an alliance with Kapu-dominated Jana Sena Party.
So, the minister wants to project that Kammas are not able to tolerate the Kapu leaders. Indirectly, he sought to send a message that Kammas would crush the Kapus, if the former are voted to power again.
Thus, he is trying to provoke Kapu community to oppose the TDP-Jana Sena alliance, say analysts.