YSR Congress party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday went to Vinukonda to call on the family of Sheik Rasheed, who was brutally hacked to death allegedly by a TDP worker Sheik Jilani at a crowded place in the town on Wednesday night.
Jagan came all the way from Bengaluru to Tadepalli to call on the family of murder victim belonging his party.
It is quite understandable on his part to do so, because such gestures would help him gain the confidence of the party workers.
Naturally, it was also expected that Jagan would speak to the media or address the party workers or even the common people who came to see him to explain to them how the ruling TDP has been resorting to witch-hunt of its political rivals.
But the unfortunate development is certainly not for gaining any publicity. But Jagan’s media managers have sought to put up a big show during Jagan’s visit to Vinukonda.
While the party leaders mobilised big crowds (obviously party workers) all along the route, who raised “Jai Jagan” slogans, his media managers dumped pictures of his virtual “road show” to the media houses.
First of all, Jagan should realise that such tactics would not fetch him any political mileage nor any sympathy. There are no elections immediately to either assembly or local bodies and there is no way such road shows or slogan raising would help him immediately.
Instead, there is a possibility that such publicity gimmicks would boomerang on him. It would have been better had the Jagan’s publicity managers confine themselves to releasing pictures of him consoling the family members of the murder victim.
Usha Chowdhary
