Actor Harikrishna favours conducting cockfights
Pithapuram: Film actor and former MP Nandamuri Harikrishna and local MLA S V S S Varma on Sunday spoke in favour of conducting cockfights, despite the Supreme Court’s ruling against them. Justifying his stand, Harikrishna told press persons at Uppada that cockfights were needed to keep the future generations informed of the Telugu traditions.
He maintained that they were part of the culture of the Telugu people and were a must during Sankranti festival along with bull fights, Rangoli and preparation of eatables like ‘pindi vantalu’.
Harikrishna stressed that the big festival of Telugus Sankranti should be celebrated in a traditional manner, while speaking along with the MLA after inaugurating Jamthani showroom at Uppada in U Kothapalli mandal.
He wished that the people would celebrate Sankranti in a traditional manner this year also. He stated that he would himself celebrate the festival along with sons Kalyan Ram and NTR Jr, along with their children, in Hyderabad.
Varma asserted that ‘kodi pandalu’ would continue in spite of the SC ruling, while wondering how could they be stopped when cocks gather at a place, like people, and attack each other.
“When these animals indulge in fights we can’t stop them,” he stated, while asserting that the fights won’t be stopped notwithstanding the SC order.
Varma contended that ‘kodi pandalu’, ‘yedla potilu’, ‘muggulu’, ‘pindi vantalu’ and ‘bavamaradalla saradalu’ were part of the Telugu culture. However, he pointed out it would be good if there is no violence and spilling of blood at the cock fights. The Telugu Desam Party would stand by Telugu traditions, he quipped.
Among those present were TDP presidents of Kothapalli and Gollaprolu mandals Anisetty Satyanand Reddy, Bavirisetty Rambabu, Pithapuram Municipal Chairman Karanam Chinna Rao, showroom owner Chodishetty Chinnababu, his daughter Bhuvana Sri, YSRCP district unit president Kanna Babu, former MLA Pendem Dora Babu and Kothapalli PACS president Madireddy Dora Babu.