Amaravati: Pawan Kalyan always loyal to Naidu, says Kannababu

Amaravati: Condemning the remarks of Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan on YSR Kapu Nestham scheme, the YSRCP has said that Jana Sena has been showing its double standards and lack of political maturity as it was silent when the previous government had terrorised Kapu community during the agitation for reservation.

Addressing a press conference here on Saturday, Agriculture Minister K Kannababu said Pawan Kalyan remained silent during the TDP regime when Chandrababu Naidu's government unleashed a reign of terror to sabotage the Kapu quota movement led by Mudragada Padmanabham.

The actor-turned-politician did not come forward nor issue a statement at that time even when false cases were foisted on Kapu women, he said.

The Minister said that the allegations made by Pawan that the allocation of more funds to the Kapu community was creating a rift among different castes were condemnable. He wanted to know which caste opposed the financial aid to the Kapus.

Kannababu said that Pawan Kalyan was unable to hide his loyalty to Naidu and thus he was acting like a B team of TDP, levelling allegations against the State government and trying hard to find fault with the welfare schemes of the YSRCP government.

"Pawan Kalyan, who always claims he supports a casteless society, now talks about caste every day. While Naidu has filed cases against Kapu leaders, it is Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy who withdrew all those cases," he said.

Kannababu said 2,35,873 Kapu women across the State derived benefit from the financial assistance of Rs 354 crore released by the government under the Kapu Nestham scheme.

Within one year, the YSRCP government has spent Rs 4,769 crore for Kapu welfare. During the TDP rule only Rs 1874.67 cr was released for Kapu welfare in five years, he pointed out.