YSR was my best friend: Naidu

‘We were only political rivals and I bore no grudge against him’

A file photo of former Chief Ministers Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and N. Chandrababu Naidu.

Former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu stated in the Assembly on Thursday that former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy was his best friend and bore no grudge against him.

Looking at Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Mr. Naidu said: “You should know that your father and I were best friends (since our days in the Congress) and even shared rooms on a few occasions. We were only political rivals. I have no personal enmity with him (YSR).”

Row over statues

Mr. Naidu was giving a retort to Sattenapalli MLA Ambati Rambabu’s comment that he (Mr. Naidu) got YSR statues, including one located at a prime location in Vijayawada city but was not an obstruction to traffic, demolished due to “jealousy.”

In fact, deviating from a discussion on illegal constructions on river and canal banks in the State, Mr. Naidu raised the issue of erection of YSR statues.

He alleged that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy got the statues of his father installed across the State.

Responding to it, Mr. Rambabu said that after YSR’s demise, people got his statues installed in every nook and corner by donating as little as ₹5 out of affection towards the departed leader.

He also said if the question of demolishing statues was to arise, it would stir up a hornet’s nest as among the innumerable status were those of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, N.T. Rama Rao, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that had surfaced in large numbers after Narendra Modi came to power.