At a time when Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu has come under fire from all sections of people and not just the opposition parties, this so-called Andhra intellectual came in support of the chief minister.
Self-styled convenor of the Andhra Intellectuals’ Forum Chalasani Srinivas, who participated in a debate on a television channel, brushed aside the leakage of rain water in the chambers of Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and flooding of a block comprising the revenue department, as an insignificant development.
“It is very common that there will be rainwater leakage in any new building. There is no point in blowing it out of proportion and debate the issue.
"What we should discuss now is the collapse of a temporary tent erected for visitors coming to the Secretariat. We have to pull up the government for not providing a permanent structure for the visitors, who are now forced to stand in rain,” he said.
Naturally, Chalasani came under fire for downplaying the rain water leakages in the Secretariat complex, which was constructed supposedly at an exorbitant cost of Rs 10,000 square feet.
“How can you say leakages are common in such a building which was constructed at such a huge cost? Is it the kind of world-class capital Naidu is visualising?” an angry caller asked Chalasani.
Several other callers also pulled up Chalasani, but the latter sought to defend his comments. He stuck to his stand and looked impatient. And yes, he has to defend the boss who belongs to his community. What else can he do?
