Is Nandi Awards Drama A Ploy To Divert Attention From Boat Capsize Tragedy?

Are Nandi Awards and the accompanying controversy a ploy to divert the attention from the boat capsize tragedy in Vijayawada? Why were Nandi awards announced in such a hurry? Is Chandrababu fanning the controversy over the Nandi awards to sidetrack real issues? Is it helping him in getting over ticklish issues?

The answer to all these queries is a resounding yes, say analysts. Nandi awards were hurriedly announced on Tuesday and the moment they were announced, they raked up controversy after controversy. There were questions about why Manam was ignored over Legend and why Prabhas was preferred over Balakrishna. There was also a question as to why Rudrama Devi was ignored in the awards. More and more people joined the issue and even people like Pradesh Congress chief N Raghuveera Reddy and maverick director Ram Gopal Varma made statements about it. TV channels, which are close to the ruling dispensation, began holding heated debates. Slowly but surely, the media and public mind space was occupied by this issue. All these appear to be part of a plan to put the Krishna river boat capsize tragedy on the back-burner. Chandrababu appears to have achieved his objective as no one is talking about the role of a minister in ensuring that the ill-fated boat that met with the accident, was permitted to ply passengers to Pavitra Sangamam. The arrests of those responsible for the tragedy are no longer the news.

Chandrababu appears to have a learnt a lesson or two from his counterpart in Telangana. To wriggle out of the Miyapur land scam, the drug scam in film industry was brought forth. The rest, as they say, is history. Today, no one talks of Miyapur lands.