Lakshmi Parvathy, wife of Telugu Desam Party founder late NT Rama Rao, has warned popular Telugu actor and NTR's grand son Junior NTR against campaigning for Chandrababu Naidu, saying it will destroy his future forever.
"I know you have a great future ahead and you can fill the shoes of your grandfather. You are quiet young now. I request you not to become a puppet in the hands of Chandrababu Naidu", Lakshmi Parvathy said in an interview.
Parvathy, whom NTR married in 1993, had become the power behind the throne when the NTR-led TDP stormed back to power a year later. It was her growing clout and control which had triggered the revolt against NTR by the other family members led by N Chandrababu Naidu in 1995.
Lakshmi Parvathy was asked to comment on the proposed election campaign by NTR Junior from Thursday in support of Chandrababu Naidu.
"This is really tragic. How these boys (NTR Junior and N Balakrishna) can believe what Naidu is saying and how they can ignore what their father (NTR) had said against Naidu", she said.
She recalled the last speeches of NTR in which he had described Naidu as "backstabber and betrayer" but NTR's son and actor N Balakrishna has denied that Naidu had backstabbed his father by his revolt in 1995.
"He did what was needed to save the party", Balakrishna said.
Lakshmi Parvathy vehemently rejected the claim of Naidu that he was the successor to NTR's policies.
"He cannot make such a claim to fool people. During his nine year rule, he was against NTR's pro-poor policies. NTR had given Rs 2 per kg rice to the poor, Naidu increased the price. NTR had enforced total prohibition, Naidu abolished it. NTR gave subsidized electricity to farmers and Naidu put burden on them," she said.
When asked whether NTR Junior could be a heir to NTR's political legacy, she said, "It is too early to say. I will call him a successor only when he follows the path shown by NTR and implement his policies when he gets the chance. But by blindly supporting Naidu and talking of bringing back Naidu to power, he is destroying his future," said Parvathy, who keeps away from politics now.
