Andhra Pradesh political row: TDP MLA Balakrishna calls Jagan Reddy a 'psycho', YSRCP hits back

Nandamuri Balakrishna

Actor-turned-politician and TDP MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna sparked a fresh controversy with his remarks in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, calling former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy a "psycho".

His statements were in response to BJP MLA Kamineni Srinivas, who had claimed that Mr Reddy met film personalities only after megastar Chiranjeevi had "insisted".  Balakrishna vehemently denied this. "It is a complete lie that Jagan came down because Chiranjeevi insisted. No one insisted there," he said. He added that he himself was invited to meet the "psycho" but chose not to go.

It all started when BJP MLA Kamineni Srinivas, while speaking on law and order in the state, claimed that when YSRCP was in power and Tollywood personalities wanted to meet the then chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss industry-related issues, he was not giving them appointment. Srinivas also claimed that when a delegation of film personalities went to the Chief Minister's house to meet him, he came down only after Chiranjeevi raised his voice.

Balakrishna intervened to term the BJP MLA's claim as false. He remarked that a delegation of film industry representatives had gone to meet the 'psycho' (referring to former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy). "It's false that he (former CM Jagan Mohan Reddy) came to meet them (Tollywood personalities) when Chiranjeevi raised his voice," Balakrishna said.

After Balakrishna's comments in the Assembly, Chiranjeevi clarified that he went to the then chief minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's residence at his invitation. The megastar said that during the lunch he explained to Jagan Mohan Reddy about the problems faced by the Tollywood industry and sought time to meet him with a delegation of industry representatives.

Chiranjeevi added that initially he was told that in view of Covid-19 restrictions, only five persons should come but they agreed when it was conveyed that the delegation will have 10 members. The megastar also revealed that he tried to contact Balakrishna to join the delegation but he was not reachable.