Recently, a senior journalist who had worked with a reputed Telugu daily shared in the social media his strange experience with late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, when he was the Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister of combined Andhra Pradesh.
This reporter, who was on the Congress beat then, was very close to YSR.
One day in the month of April, while interacting with YSR, he came up with an idea to attack Naidu.
He told YSR that Naidu was born on April 20, which is generally written on 4/20 in the US terminology.
“On April 20, the TDP leaders will celebrate his birthday in a big way. So, you can call him 420 CM. That will go down into people strongly,” the reporter advised. A person is called 420, if he cheats public.
YSR laughed at the suggestion and asked the reporter: “Are you sure, Naidu was born on 4/20?” and the latter showed him Naidu’s bio-data.
The Opposition leader went into a deep thought once and then said: “No. I can’t do that. Let us criticize Naidu politically but let us not make fun of his date of birth and use it for politics.”
15 years later, his son Y S Jaganmohan Reddy did not hesitate to use the idea, which his father had avoided, in attacking Naidu.
“On the fourth month of the calendar and on 20th day in short which would be called 4/20 is Chandrababu Naidu’s birthday and he announced that he would fast on that day seeking SCS. It clearly shows that it is only a farce and can least be called as 420 fasting by a 420 leader,” Jagan said.
“On the fourth month and 20th day, which sums up to 420, he wants to go on a day’s fast seeking SCS which is ridiculous, sacrilegious and absurd,” he added.
In politics, YSR represented dignified politics and he had never crossed his limits while attacking his political rivals. But his son does not mind making personal attacks and abuses at his rivals.
That is the difference between the father and the son!
