‘Conspiracy’, Says Chandrababu Naidu After Viral Video Shows TDP MPs Making Fun of Colleague’s Fast

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday pulled up his party MPs whose casual banter on hunger-strike was caught on camera and cautioned them that even "slight callousness" will cause a lot of damage to the "interests of the state".

He gave the advice during a teleconference with the MPs, a day after a video showing the purported casual banter of them at the Andhra Bhavan in New Delhi went viral, a party release said here.

Naidu also described the incident as part of "a conspiracy against the state" to scuttle the fight against the Centre (over various issues including special category status).

This is not the time for jokes. Nobody should make such comments even for fun. You people should not talk as you wish. We are fighting a battle and everyone should speak in one voice, the TDP release quoted Naidu as telling the MPs.

He also said an inquiry would be conducted into who shot the video of the MPs' chatter and the reason for it, it said.

"We will get everything investigated and take stringent action against the culprits," the Chief Minister added.

The video was ostensibly shot on a mobile phone when the MPs were having tea in the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan on Wednesday.

It went viral on the social media in the last two days, causing embarassment to the TDP, which has been attacking the BJP-led NDA government since pulling out of it recently.

The MPs were seen chatting, in a mocking tone, about hunger-strike with one of them suggesting that he could sit on fast for a week as "I want to lose five kgs."

They were apparently discussing the ongoing indefinite hunger-strike by party colleague C M Ramesh, MP, in Kadapa, demanding setting up of a steel plant by the Centre.

In their explanation, the MPs told Naidu that it was a cut and paste job and that their comments were distorted, indicating that the video had been tampered with.

Naidu told them not to become pawns in the hands of the conspirators and thereby damage the interests of the state.

"This is a very crucial time. Even a slight callousness will cause a lot of damage, he warned.

Fighting with criminals and blackmailers was not an easy task, Naidu said adding everyone should stay guarded with all seriousness, the release said.