Sting on Chiranjeevi puts him in trouble

Hyderabad: Actor-turned-politician Chiranjeevi’s party Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) has run into serious trouble because of some of the comments he made against his fellow politicians.

A sting showing Chiranjeevi making off-the-cuff comments is now being circulated across the state. The secretly filmed video shows him asking some of his young activists to keep tabs on veteran politicians who want to join his party. Chiranjeevi is also seen advising them to prefer freshers to senior politicians.

"We need young people like you who are selfless, dedicated and committed to bring in change in the society. You are my inspiration. You should appear to be closely working with politicians but at the same time keep a tab on them," Chiranjeevi, was seen telling a gathering.

The nine minute video has been made available to local television channels and on the internet by unidentified persons. The sting comes at a very embarrassing moment for Chiranjeevi as he is set to start the second leg of his mass contact programme on Thursday.

But PRP members have rushed to the support of their leader. They said the comments were just to warn party activists against politicians who were out to play spoilsport.

"It could be visitors who had come to meet Chiranjeevi. One of them took a his video speaking on his mobile phone. We are not taking it seriously, no investigation will be done. But we will be more cautious in the future,” says party's spokesperson Parakala Prabhaker.

The second leg of Chiranjeevi’s mass contact programme from the Telangana heartland will start from Thursday.

The eight-day political yatra would cover the three Telangana districts of Karimnagar, Warangal and Khammam, party sources said. Chiranjeevi would commence the road show from Siricilla in Karimnagar district, where scores of weavers ended their lives due to the crisis gripping the handlooms and powerlooms there.

The PRP founder had earlier visited Siricilla to express solidarity with the weavers. The visit has put Congress government in a spot for its alleged failure to rescue the weavers.

During the tour, Chiranjeevi is also expected to spell out his party's stand on the crucial issues of separate Telangana and Naxalism. The Karimnagar and Warangal districts, hotbed of Telangana statehood movement, were also strongholds of Naxal activities once.

The actor had to cut short his first leg of tour in north coastal Andhra Pradesh by two days earlier this month due to sore throat. While Chiranjeevi's first leg of mass contact programme was a big hit, going by the huge crowd turnout, his impact in Telangana region will come under close scrutiny by major political players as it is expected to decide the contours electoral alliances for next year's assembly polls.

The main opposition Telugu Desam Party has already made a U-turn and announced its support for Telangana cause in the hope of striking an alliance with Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), a major force in the region.

(With inputs from PTI)

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