The Red Book Question Nara Lokesh Escaped at the India Today Conclave

At the India Today Conclave, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh, son of CM Chandrababu Naidu, made a bold claim: “There is no place for revenge politics in AP. If we wanted, we would have sent Jagan to jail long ago.” He was responding to questions from senior journalist Rajdeep Sardesai.

But Lokesh’s statement raises more questions than answers. Just a glance at his past exposes the hypocrisy.

When in opposition, Lokesh carried around a “Red Book” during his “Yuvagalam” padayatra — a list of political enemies he vowed to destroy. He brandished it at rallies, issuing open threats and promising to “strip” rivals and settle scores. The coalition came to power, and soon enough, the Red Book turned into action: YSRCP leaders’ homes were attacked, false cases piled up, bail in one case only meant immediate arrest in another. In Palnadu, several YSRCP leaders were hounded out of the state. Some were dragged to faraway police stations and harassed endlessly.

So much for “no revenge politics.”

Former MLA Pedda Reddy even had to knock on the Supreme Court’s doors just to enter his home in Tadipatri. TDP MLAs who insulted Jr NTR and his mother went unpunished. Cases against TDP leaders who harassed women vanished. Social media critics were arrested mercilessly, but when TDP or Jana Sena supporters spread hate, the government looked the other way. Selective justice became the norm.

The Red Book was not a myth — it was policy.

Lokesh’s claim that their only agenda is “AP’s development” is laughable when farmers, opposition leaders, and even ordinary citizens face daily persecution. Critics point out that Naidu is only making speeches, while Lokesh runs the show, giving direct instructions to police and acting like the de facto CM.

In fact, Lokesh himself once admitted in Kadapa: “I forget nothing. My father was jailed for 53 days — as a son, can I ever forget that? The Red Book will do its work.” These are his own words.

So when Rajdeep Sardesai asked him if Jagan would be jailed, Lokesh’s reply — “If we wanted, we would have done it already” — was pure arrogance. If Rajdeep had pressed him on the Red Book, Lokesh would have had no escape.

The truth is simple: revenge politics is alive and thriving under Lokesh. He talks about law taking its course, but the law is twisted at will. Ministers have been reduced to dummies while Lokesh plays super-minister, dictating everything.

If he truly has sincerity, Lokesh should drop the Red Book obsession and govern with dignity. Otherwise, the same traps he sets for his rivals may one day catch him instead.