I don't care, says Balakrishna on Jr NTR's silence over Naidu's arrest

Hyderabad, Oct (IANS) "I don’t care" was how TDP MLA and actor N. Balakrishna reacted to the silence of popular actor Jr NTR over the arrest of TDP national President and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu in Andhra Pradesh Skill Development Corporation case.

Balakrishna, brother-in-law of Chandrababu Naidu and also father-in-law of Naidu’s son Lokesh, said he was not bothered if film personalities were not condemning Chandrababu Naidu’s arrest.

"I don’t care, Bro, I don’t care," he said when asked to comment on Jr NTR, who is his nephew, not reacting to Naidu’s arrest.

Naidu, who was arrested last month, remains in judicial custody.

The actor politician was talking to media persons in Hyderabad on Wednesday after chairing a meeting of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders of Telangana.

Jr NTR, a popular Tollywood actor, is nephew of Balakrishna. He has not yet reacted to Naidu’s arrest.

Balayya, as Balakrishna is popularly known, declined to comment on the controversy surrounding Andhra Pradesh’s Tourism Minister R.K. Roja.

"It’s better to be silent. If we throw stones on mud, it will only spoil our clothes," he remarked.

Roja, a former actress, had organised celebrations over Naidu’s arrest. She had also made objectionable comments about Naidu and his family members.

TDP leader and former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy’s ‘derogatory’ remarks on Roja kicked up a row this week. Police arrested him for the remarks against Roja and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He was later released on bail.

Balayya said some leaders in Telangana were invoking his legendary father NTR in view of the upcoming elections. He believes that the recent happenings in Andhra Pradesh and the development witnessed in Telangana during Naidu’s rule in undivided Andhra Pradesh will influence the elections.

He also stated that Naidu’s arrest is being condemned in Telangana only for the last three days.

Stating that the TDP was not visible in Telangana earlier, he claimed that now awareness is growing. Balayya said the TDP will contest the upcoming elections in Telangana with full force and exuded confidence that its flag will fly high in Telangana.

He said Naidu will take a decision about electoral alliances in Telangana. "We will show them," he remarked when asked to comment on the statements by leaders of some parties that the TDP has no existence in Telangana.