Ahead of the Tirupati Parliamentary bye-election in Andhra Pradesh, BJP National Secretary and state in-charge Sunil Deodhar has triggered a row, by stating that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's bail could be cancelled anytime. Sunil Deodhar was speaking at the Kapu Sankshema Sena's Balija caste meeting in poll-bound Tirupati.
Addressing the meeting, Sunil said, "The Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh is out on bail, he is roaming out on bail. That is why leaders of YSRCP should remember while talking or tweeting on social media that many of them are out on bail and anytime, their bail will be cancelled."
"That is why there is no need to fly in ‘heavy air’," Sunil said, in reference to a song in a Telugu movie by BJP ally and actor-politician Pawan Kalyan in a seeming bid to woo the Kapu and Balija community voters, amid cheers.
Sunil also claimed that former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu had committed many crimes and indulged in corruption, he said. "Naidu has committed so many crimes. Whoever has indulged in corruption, one day will come and that person will have to be prosecuted."
The comments have stoked up discussion on social media. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is on bail in a disproportionate assets case filed by agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The Tirupati bye-election, which was necessitated by the sudden demise of YSRCP MP Balli Durga Prasada Rao, is seeing a triangular fight. While the BJP-Jana Sena Party coalition has roped in former Karnataka Chief Secretary and retired IAS officer Ratna Prabha, TDP has fielded ex-Union Minister Panabaka Laxmi against YSRCP's Dr Gurumoorthy, who is said to be close confidante and medical consultant of the Chief Minister.
Sunil Deodar is often accused of sharing fake news and making communally sensitive remarks on social media by his opponents.