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When a leader like Chandrababu Naidu cannot tolerate criticism, then no point in blaming 'Intolerant India'

  • People in AP have been warned that they will face arrest for tarnishing the TDP’s image
  • IYR Krishna Rao was sacked from his post for daring to criticise the AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu
  • President Pranab Mukherjee says ‘Intolerance has never been allowed’. Clearly that is not the case
When a leader like Chandrababu Nadu cannot tolerate criticism then no point in blaming Intolerant India

The intolerance levels in India are at an all-time high. Former chief secretary and former chairman of Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Corporation IYR Krishna Rao had in a series of Facebook posts dared to criticise the state Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu. Following which he was sacked from his post as the chairman of Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Corporation.

In April this year, a PTI report mentioned that the Telugu Desam Party secretary and state Information Technology Minister Nara Lokesh has asked his fellow leaders to initiate criminal action against those "tarnishing our image". In the same month Andhra police arrested a man for posting “derogatory” content about the AP Legislative Council. Tulluru police took away the administrator of the Facebook page, ‘Political Punch,’ Inturi Ravi Kiran

At that time, the Nara Lokesh had said using a powerpoint presentation to get his order across to the party lines: “The (mainstream) media is favourable to us but we have no control over the social media and there is a lot of negative propaganda against us. We have to curb this.”

 "If we start taking criminal action against those making critical posts, it will be a deterrent to others," Lokesh, the son of chief minister Naidu, said.

Information and Public Relations Minister Kalva Srinivasulu told PTI: "It's not Lokesh Babu's idea as such but there had been some discussion during the recent Budget Session (of Legislature) that there should be some restriction on social media as people have been posting stuff without any restraint. Our legislators and leaders feel we need to curb this trend and so we are studying the cyber laws on how to go about it," he said.

Asked if it not exposed the intolerance of the TDP, Kalva, a former journalist, remarked that nobody would have any objection if the posts were "democratic and within the rules".

So who decides what is democratic and within the rules?

Clearly, Krishna Rao exercised his rights by expressing his views, in this case it was a public forum of Facebook. This is what the ousted official said in a press conference on Tuesday after receiving news of his termination. He said, “I don’t find anything wrong in my comments or sharing of some posts. It is my fundamental duty to express my views and they have nothing to do with my functioning as the chairman of Brahmin Welfare Corporation.”

The bureaucrat has been posting controversial posts on various social media platforms, calling the CM as casteist. He also accused the CM for giving a tax concession to Gautamiputra Satakarni  that stars Naidu's brother-in-law N Balakrishna as well as Baahubali. In another post, he accused Naidu of being the mind behind a cartoon critical of his father-in-law NT Rama Rao published in a popular Telugu newspaper 23 years ago. So seems like Krishna Rao clearly rubbed Naidu the wrong way by referring to his ‘honest image’ and his touchy relationship with his father-in-law.

Was it so big a deal to sack someone from his job? Clearly not. Will it not in a way prove that there could be some truth to the matter?

Well, in fact, even UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, had faced a similar predicament and the Bengaluru Police had lodged a criminal case against a woman for making "objectionable posts"on her Facebook page which allegedly depicted Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in "poor light."

These recent incidents call to mind our President Pranab Mukherjee’s thoughts on intolerance.

“We are one nation. This mutual co-existence, mutual understanding is our strength. Managing this diversity is our greatest strength. If it is said Indians are argumentative, I will agree. But if it is said Indians are intolerant, I refuse to agree. Intolerance has never been allowed.”

Sadly, what we see today reflected in our society is ‘intolerance’. Intolerance over religion, over food, over beef, over beliefs, over celebrating victories, over having a difference in opinion, over voicing protests. How then can you justify the myth of ‘tolerant India’?

If leaders like Naidu get touchy at the drop of a hat and take to sacking officials and arresting people then what we see today on the streets is no different. Only this intolerance leads to death and violence.

 

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