For the ruling Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh the International Women’s Day could not have come at a more inopportune time as two of its senior figures were stuck in deep mud on women related controversies.
While a senior Minister R Kishore Babu was under fire after his son and driver were caught trying to abduct a woman not far from Ministers’ quarters and their alleged crime was recorded on the CCTV cameras, filmstar-turned-politician and TDP MlA Balakrishna has triggered a major row by his sexist remarks evoking condemnation from all quarters.
Speaking at a film function in Hyderabad Hindupur MlA and film star N Balakrishna kicked up a row when he said, “I have always tried to do different roles. If I simply run behind the actresses, my fans will be disappointed. They like when I either kiss the girl or make her pregnant”.
Angered over the denigrating remarks, Telangana Advocates Joint Action Committee lodged a complaint against the MlA. Saroornagar police station booked a case against Balakrishna.
lodging the complaint advocate Ravi Kumar said that such remarks against women by a celebrity will encourage crime against women as they were provocative in nature and condone the misbehavior with women.
The issue was raised in AP Assembly during a discussion Women’s Day by the leader of opposition YS Jaganmohan Reddy. He criticised the ruling party MlA for indulging in denigrating comments against women.
Responding to his criticism Balakrishna said that when he made the remarks in the film function, the people present there many women enjoyed his remarks. “I was commenting on my own roles in the film”, he said. “If my comments did hurt anybody I am sorry. I immensely respect all women”, Balakrishna said.
Balakrishna is a close relative of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
The controversy erupted at a time when the TDP was left embarrassed by the arrest of Susheel, son of social welfare minister Ravela Kishore Babu a few days ago in Hyderabad.
Susheel and his driver M Ramesh were thrashed by a mob in Banjara Hills area when they allegedly tried to abduct a twenty year old girl. The girl working as a teacher was returning home from school when the duo tried to drag her in to their car after chasing her for some distance. The passers by rescued the women and bashed the duo which was found in drunk condition.
After managing to flee from the scene they later surrendered at the Banjara Hills Police station.
As his son was cooling his heels in jail in 14 day long judicial custody, minister Kishore Babu first defended his son saying he was a victim of a conspiracy by the opposition leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy. But with the CM N Chandrababu Naidu expressing his strong displeasure with him and asking him to come clean on the issue, the Minister on Tuesday said that he will not pardon his son if he was found guilty.
Naidu kept himself away from the controversies and concentrated celebrating the day by cutting a cake in the company of women legislators. The AP Assembly also passed a resolution seeking 33 per cent reservation for women in legislature and the Parliament.