By IANS
Hyderabad : Former film actress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Roja describing Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhara Rao a “drunkard” at a public meeting here Friday provoked the regional party into staging a strong protest and demanding an apology from her.
Roja, president of the women’s wing of the TDP, made the remark at an all-party meeting organised as part of an anti-liquor agitation by a non-governmental organisation here.
The meeting at the Press Club was thrown into pandemonium when Roja termed Rao a “drunkard”. She remarked that the TRS had no right to blame the previous TDP government for promoting liquor shops as its leader Chandrasekhara Rao drinks till late in the night and wakes up around noon every day.
The remark evoked sharp reaction from TRS legislator N. Narasimha Reddy, who was on the dais, and others present there rushing towards her. Roja had to end her speech abruptly. The TRS supporters surrounded Roja, raised slogans and demanded that she tender an apology. The organizers failed to pacify them.
“Have you seen him drinking,” asked Narasimha Reddy adding that she had no right to level baseless allegations against their leader. Roja had to leave the Press Club as TRS leaders stuck to their demand that she tender an apology for insulting KCR, as the TRS president is known.
Later, TRS activists gathered in large numbers and staged a protest. They also set fire to an effigy of Roja.
The actress later defended her remarks against Rao saying that TRS rebel leader A. Narendra himself had revealed that Rao was a habitual drunkard. She said she kept silent during the meeting when speakers from all other parties criticised TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu for promoting liquor shops during the TDP regime.
Giving the controversy a regional twist, Narasimha Reddy alleged that Roja insulted KCR as she was against separate statehood to Telangana.