HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Welfare Corporation chairman and former chief secretary IYR Krishna Rao, who was unceremoniously sacked for making some controversial comments against the government on Facebook, fired direct salvos at the functioning of the Chandrababu Naidu government hours after his removal.
“I had been trying for an appointment with the CM for six months without success. I don’t know the reason,” he said while defending his comments posted on Facebook recently, criticising some policies of the state government.
The former bureaucrat, who was handpicked by Naidu for the post of the first chief secretary of the truncated state, hinted at disclosing more about the making of Amaravati and other issues in the days to come. “When CM Naidu can meet Lagadapati Rajagopal, why can’t I meet YSRC MLA Kona Raghupathi (Bapatla), who is also a people’s representative?” he wondered at a press meet here on Tuesday.
Full text of Rao’s speech
“Chief Minister Naidu appointed me as chairman of AP Brahmin Welfare Corporation after my retirement. Though he offered me chief information commissioner’s post, I opted for Brahmin Corporation to do something for poor Brahmins. Today I am unceremoniously removed. Had they asked me, I would have resigned without hesitation.”
“Today, prior to my removal, some NRIs said some of my posts on Facebook were against the government. I answered, ‘Why do you bother? My posts are addressed to the government. Let it respond. I will explain the reasons for my post.’ The government has not given me a chance to explain.”
“I had vainly tried for an appointment with the CM for six months. Four times, I waited for four hours at CM’s peshi. Twice I just had a glimpse of him and did not get the chance even to catch a sight of him on two occasions.”
“Once I went to a senior officer in CMO and said, “I assumed charge as Brahmin Corporation chairman to put in my best efforts for the welfare of poor Brahmins. But I am unable to meet the CM to discuss several issues. Try to provide me an opportunity to travel along with him on flight from Vijayawada to Hyderabad so that I can take some issues to his notice.” “Some say I am disloyal to CM though I was given a cabinet-rank post. In fact, my post was not of cabinet rank. Some TDP leaders had alleged that when the Brahmin Corporation organised meetings with local people at district headquarters, local TDP MLAs were not being informed but YSRC MLAs were being tipped off. I said I only inform the district coordinators who, in turn, communicate it to local TDP MLAs.”
“If these coordinators are not informing their own MLAs and passing on the information to YSRC legislators, it indicates a serious lapse within TDP. They cannot blame me.”
“Another objection is that the corporation was sanctioning all loans to YSRC workers. How can I distinguish beneficiaries on political lines? All loan-seekers apply online.
“Some criticised me for campaigning for BJP in Visakhapatnam. There are about 40 choultries built exclusively for Brahmins in the 18th and 19th centuries. One such is Ayyaluri Vari Satram in Nellore. Lodaballi Vari Satram in Guntur is another. The corporation wanted to run the two. As CM could not decide, I approached endowments minister P Manikyala Rao who cleared the proposal. Later, he requested me to campaign for BJP in Vizag. I agreed as BJP is TDP’s ally. “I do not understand why some people are magnifying some my posts on Facebook. TDP MPs JC Diwakar Reddy and Kesineni Nani openly criticise the CM. Has any one posted comments against them?
“On April 22 police arrested a person, Ravi Kiran, for posting some political satires. I felt very bad and opposed the arrest. Are we in a democracy or in a fascist state to curtail freedom of speech? Facebook is a platform to express ourselves.”