The conspicuous absence of Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu at the Samadhi of party founder and former chief minister N T Rama Rao in Hyderabad on Thursday to pay homage to the departed leader on the latter’s 22nd death anniversary, has become a matter of debate in the political and media circles.
Perhaps, this is the first time that Naidu did not come to the Samadhi to pay homage to NTR at the Samadhi.
Even after bifurcation of the combined state, Naidu had come to Hyderabad to pay floral tributes to NTR on his birth and death anniversaries. Naturally, his absence on Thursday gave scope for a lot of criticism.
In fact, senior TDP leader and Naidu loyalist Mothkupalli Narasimhulu himself found fault with Naidu for not coming to NTR Samadhi.
“Whatever may be the reasons, he should have come to Hyderabad to pay tributes to the departed leader. It sends a wrong message to the party cadre,” he said.
However, in the evening, Naidu’s son and IT minister Nara Lokesh gave an explanation to his father not coming to Hyderabad for homage to NTR.
“He could not go NTR Samadhi this year because of the Collector’s Conference which was scheduled long ago. That did not mean we showed any disregard to the party founder.
We observed NTR death anniversary in a big way all over Andhra. We are also erecting NTR statue and a memorial at Amaravati shortly,” Lokesh explained.
