Edited version of Pawan Kalyan’s statement was made viral, says Anitha

Home Minister V. Anitha clarifies edited remarks by Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan, addresses political rift allegations.

Home Minister V. Anitha has said that Deputy Chief Minister Konidela Pawan Kalyan had not made any remark that she had failed in maintaining law and order and the former’s remarks were edited and made viral.

Ms. Anitha spoke to media on Monday night after arriving at Anantapur to attend the Passing Out Parade of Probationary DSPs and reviewed the law and order situation in Anantapur and Sri Sathya Sai districts. Speaking on the sidelines of the meeting, Ms. Anitha said that some people are waiting for an opportunity to create a rift in the NDA. “They want to create an impression that Mr. Pawan Kalyan had made some remarks against me and derive political advantage,’’ she asserted.

Ms. Anitha said those who are hell bent to create a rift in the Alliance have made viral edited videos of Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s speech. When the Home Minister’s attention was drawn to the purported remarks of Mr. Pawan Kalyan that she has failed as the Home Minister, Ms. Anitha got the Deputy CM’s speech played and asserted that Mr. Pawan Kalyan did not make any such remark.

“In fact, I immediately called the OSD of Sir (Mr. Pawan Kalyan) and Sir talked with me. He made it clear that a woman (a social activist) asked as to how a case has not been filed and the accused not arrested just because he belongs to a particular caste. Mr. Pawan Kalyan made it clear that he had said that such things had occurred in the previous government,’’ Ms. Anitha said.

She added that Mr. Pawan Kalyan, in his speech on Monday, had asked to hold reviews on such issues. “I am a responsible Minister and I took Mr. Pawan Kalyan’s comments positively. In fact, his words are a pillar of support and encourage me to take up my assignment aggressively,’’ she said.

The Home Minister said some persons are making objectionable comments against her and family members of Mr. Pawan Kalyan and also Minister Nara Lokesh. “I am still getting trolled. I am feeling ashamed of forwarding such comments to the police for investigation. They are making these comments under the garb of freedom of expression and when some arrests are made, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is raising a hue and cry. He should remember that Gouthu Sirisha, now an MLA, was made to sit in CID office for posting a forwarded text. Similarly, a 60-year-old woman Ranganayakulamma was made to sit in the CID office for long hours on the name of questioning,’’ Ms. Anitha said.