Kamineni withdraws remarks on Jagan, Chiranjeevi

Vijayawada: BJPMLA Kamineni Srinivas on Saturday withdrew his controversial remarks in the Assembly about former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and actor-politician Chiranjeevi, requesting that they be expunged from the records.

Srinivas told the House that he had not intended to cause offence and sought the Speaker’s permission to erase his words. Deputy Speaker K Raghurama krishna Raju called it a “good development” and said he would take up the matter with Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu for deletion from official records.

The controversy began when Srinivas said film actors who had approached Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy during his tenure as chief minister were “insulted.” Hindupur TDP MLA and actor Nandamuri Balakrishna immediately intervened, disputing the account and calling Jagan a “psycho,” while also recalling the alleged slight to Chiranjeevi. The Megastar later condemned Balakrishna’s remarks, adding fuel to a row that has gripped Andhra Pradesh for the past three days.

While Srinivas on Saturday withdrew his words, Balakrishna offered no clarification over his own strong language directed at both Jagan and Chiranjeevi. The TDP has also been silent over the issue.

Meanwhile, Jana Sena MLAs Sundarapu Vijay Kumar and Bolisetty Srinivas welcomed Srinivas’s decision. Speaking at the Assembly media point, they said it was “gratifying” that he recognised it was inappropriate to target individuals not present in the House. They confirmed that Srinivas’s remarks had been expunged.

Later, the Speaker directed that the comments of both Kamineni Srinivas and Balakrishna be expunged from the official records. Assembly officials confirmed that the process has been completed.