Film star and Jana Sena founder Pawan Kalyan is back on the political stage again urging the TDP government not to use the Land Acquisition Act on multi-cropped lands in river front villages for the new capital Amaravati.
The actor-turned-politician, who threw his weight behind the people of the villages notified for acquisition for the capital threatening to take to streets and undertake an indefinite fast if need be, has reacted at a time when the decks are cleared for invocation of the provisions under the LA Act to acquire the balance 2,000-odd acres that could not be pooled under the land pooling scheme.
A tweet by Mr. Pawan drew a sharp response with Finance Minister Y. Ramakrishnudu asserting that the Government had no powers like sage Viswamitra to create a Trishanku’s heaven without allocating land. Unfazed, Mr. Kalyan asked the Finance Minister to prove that what was being constructed was a heaven in the first place so that it could be subsequently decided whether it was a Trishanku’s heaven or a regular one.
Unlike in the past when he remained mute to such taunts, Mr. Pawan this time around took a serious note of the Government’s response and announced his resolve to visit the riverfront villages soon and meet farmers there. His prompt retort to the Finance Minister’s charges notwithstanding, questions are being raised about the actor’s seriousness in pursuing people’s issues with the Government. The actor is known to emerge out of the blue to vent his views. The man who appeared promising more than a year ago with the launch of his political outfit Jana Sena has been inconsistent in taking up the issues in spite of his promise of questioning the Governments at Centre and the State on their actions. He has been very occasional, for that matter reluctant, in questioning the Government as is evident from the “requests” he made to the Government to refrain from acquiring multi-crop lands. That he is a sensitive and well intentioned man giving due respect to the public concerns is evident from the genuineness of the issues he raises, although occasionally. His tweets evoke prompt reaction from the political party in question as is seen from the explanation given by several MPs whom he described as harbouring business interests.
