Hyderabad/Vijayawada, April 21 (IANS) Derogatory words used by senior Telugu actor and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislator N. Balakrishna against Prime Minister Narendra Modi triggered protests by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday.
Tension prevailed at Balakrishna's house at posh Jubliee Hills area in Hyderabad as BJP workers staged a sit-in demanding that he apologise to the Prime Minister.
As the actor reached his house in a car, the protestors surrounded his vehicle, shouting slogans. Police swung into action to escort the actor inside his house. When the protestors tried to barge into the house, police arrested and shifted them to a police station.
The BJP leaders in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana lodged police complaints against Balakrishna and demanded his arrest for insulting the Prime Minister.
The BJP also organised protests in various parts of Andhra Pradesh as its workers set afire the TDP legislator's effigy and raised slogans against him. In Nellore, the workers of the two parties clashed when TDP activists tried to prevent the BJP supporters from setting afire Balakrishna's effigy.
A delegation of BJP leaders called on Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan in Visakhapatnam and urged him to take serious note of the language used by Balakrishna.
The BJP delegation, led by Vishnukumar Raju, submitted a memorandum to the Governor demanding action against Balakrishna.
Balakrishna on Friday described Modi as a "gaddar" (traitor) and "namak haram" (cheat) for going back on the promise of granting special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
The actor, who is a member of state assembly, was addressing a meeting in Vijayawada where his brother-in-law and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu took up day-long fast to protest against the Central government for doing injustice to the state.
Balakrishna, younger son of legendary actor and TDP founder N.T. Rama Rao, spared no words in targeting Modi.
Reminding the Prime Minister's past as a tea-seller, the TDP leader said Modi had treated Andhra Pradesh like a fly struggling for survival in a cup of hot tea.
"Instead of rescuing it, he chose to take into his mouth and chew it. He is a 'makhi choos' (fly sucker)," he said.
He predicted that the BJP would not win even a single seat in Andhra Pradesh in the next elections.
"You are trying to play Sikhandi (an eunuch character in Mahabharata) politics by taking the help of our rivals to attack the TDP. But your cheap politics won't work here. You cannot succeed in your attempts," he said.
"If you have heart, you should listen to the heart beat of the Telugu people. Not just Andhra, entire India is against you. The time has come when they will beat you repeatedly and chase you, wherever you go. You cannot escape even if you go and sit in a bunker," said Balakrishna.
The actor also accused Modi of trying to gain grip over Andhra Pradesh as he had done in Gujarat.
"But remember Modji, Andhra Pradesh is not Gujarat. Your tricks do not work here. The Telugu people are courageous. They showed their power when the Congress government in Delhi tried to pull down NTR government in 1984."
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