YS Jagan Will Not Promise Anything He Can’t Deliver

Kommineni Srinivasa Rao

It is not easy to stay truthful and straightforward in politics. But Leader of Opposition in Andhra Pradesh legislative Assembly and YSR Congress President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy seems to be treading the righteous path against all odds. This is true of YS Jagan's stand on Kapu reservations. The issue was a part of TDP manifesto in the last elections. It was ably supported by BJP and Jana Sena. The TDP grabbed all the Kapu votes after making tall claims about it in its election campaigns. But after elections, AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu conveniently forgot about it. Later, when Mudragada Padmanabham staged a protest and held a massive public meeting in Tuni, the TDP chief was reminded of his promise.

Also Read:YSRCP Is Sincere About Kapu Reservation: YS Jagan

These series of events led to the establishment of Kapu Corporation. And the credit for it should go to Mudragada. But he did not stop there. He continued his agitation. To counter him, the TDP government framed cases against him and his family. They humiliated the family members of Mudragada. All these are known facts, and the former minister has expressed his displeasure over those events many a times.

Next it was Chandrababu Naidu government's turn to duck the issue and pass the buck to the central government. But the Centre raised several queries on the issue.

There is a judgement by Supreme Court which says reservations should not be more than 50 per cent. Besides, many BCs are protesting against Kapu reservations. Even after all these, YS Jagan continued to support Kapu reservations.

YS Jagan believes in honouring his commitments come what may. And that's exactly what he was trying to explain that he could not make any false promises as it was outside the purview of the government and doing so at this point would amount to nothing but betrayal to Kapu community. And this is why the YSRCP supremo chose to be realistic on the issue of Kapu reservations. Unfortunately, Mudragada is trying to portray a different picture all together. He questioned why should Kapu community vote for YSRCP. On the other hand, he said that YS Jagan was tapping other community votes.

If what Mudragada was imagining was right, then why would YS Jagan not oppose the Kapu agitation? Moreover, he didn't even attempt to cheat the Kapu community by lying like Chandrababu.

Didn't TDP manifesto the Kapu reservations issue? Or did they mention that they would pass the buck on to the centre and keep quiet? If at all Chandrababu was sincere, he would have passed the resolution on this issue in assembly in the very first year and pressurise the BJP-led government for Kapu reservations. The BJP and TDP were in an alliance for over the last four years and it would have been an easy task for TDP to get the job done. Chandrababu claims to have visited Delhi 29 times, did he bother to raise the kapu reservation issue at least even once in Delhi?

Mudragada seems to have forgotten the humiliation he was subject to by TDP. It is up to him. There is no harm is seeking YS Jagan's support for Kapu reservations and also no harm in extending the support. But trying to play up the issue as if the matter was in YS Jagan's hands and he was not fulfilling it is not right on the part of Mudragada. Did Pawan Kalyan, who had been an ally of the TDP all these days, extend his support to the issue or express solidarity with Mudragada? Primarily, he wants to stay away from caste politics.

Then why are the statements of YS Jagan and Pawan Kalyan being twisted? If YS Jagan had lied, then Mudragada had all the right to criticise the YSRCP President, but that was not the case. It was foolish on part of Mudragada to question YSRCP agitation for Special Category Status saying it was also under centre's purview. He should remember that it was Congress and BJP that had promised to grant SCS to AP. We need to recall how Chandrababu, Pawan Kalyan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Venkaiah Naidu had promised SCS on various occasions.

Mudragada is known to be a truthful man. He should introspect about what YS Jagan had said and whether it was truth or lies? If he understands this and behaves accordingly, the respect for him would definitely double. Otherwise he would also be treated as any other politician.