Former Congress MP and self-styled political intellectual Vundavalli Arun Kumar, who tried to hog the media limelight with his sensational comments, was at it again.
Speaking to reporters at Rajahmundry, Vundavalli said Naidu should not have become so emotional over the alleged comments made by YSR Congress party members in the state assembly last week.
“I don’t think Naidu’s emotional scenes in the assembly and his breaking down before the media later were just a drama. He might have felt bad, but if he thinks his tears would evoke any sympathy from the people and fetch him any political mileage, he is mistaken,” the former MP said.
Vundavalli said Naidu himself was aware that the sympathy factor would not work in politics. “When he was attacked by Naxalites at Alipiri in 2003, he did not get any sympathy votes in the immediate assembly elections. Even NTR did not get any sympathy from the people, when he was dethroned by Naidu in August 1995. Similarly, YSR’s death also did not bring any sympathy for the Congress in the subsequent by-elections in the state,” he pointed out.
He, however, said the YSRC members’ comments against Naidu and his wife in the assembly were in a very bad taste. “The people know that the YSRC leaders’ comments were baseless. Everybody has seen how a minister uses foul language against Chandrababu Naidu. Such leaders must be suffering from certain psychological disorders. They should learn to give respect to the political rivals; only then, they can the respect they deserve,” he said.
Stating that he had been in politics since 1972, Vundavalli said he had not heard any gossips about NTR’s family members. “I have seen NTR’s children like Daggubati Purandeshwari and Nandamuri Harikrishna. They treat others with a lot of respect,” he said.
Interestingly, Vundavalli also said he would not believe the talk that chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy had masterminded the murder of his uncle Y S Vivekananda Reddy.