India - Sting on Chiru creates ripples in Praja Rajyam

HYDERABAD: A sting operation showing Chiranjeevi of the Prajarajyam Party sharing his intimate views with IT professional recently sent the
fledgling party into a tizzy.

The nine-minute video clip of a closed-door meeting Chiranjeevi had with IT professionals was telecast by local news channels on Wednesday. The clip was also uploaded on the internet.

The video showed Chiranjeevi interacting with the IT professional on different issues like political corruption, SEZs, weavers' deaths, etc. During the interaction, Chiranjeevi asked the participants to be wary of politicians willing to join PRP.

He went on to observe, "It may be inevitable for the party in some places because of their experience but they don't bring in freshness." "The change we want to bring in will not be achieved if we open the floodgates to politicians," he added.

Chiranjeevi was also seen saying that PRP rank and file should mingle with their counterparts in other political parties and be friendly with them so that they can find out the developments there. "Some kind of spying," he told them, chuckling. In the same breath he advised them to be cautious lest they should land in trouble if they betray their real intentions.

Soon after the telecast of the video clipping, the bloggers were busy posting comments for and against the episode. It is not clear as to who is behind this sting operation and its purpose.

What baffled the party leadership was how the meeting held within the four walls of the party office was reported in the media. PRP sources say that an important file went missing from Chiranjeevi's office recently and they suspect that it is an insider job.

Following this, Chiranjeevi has kept the keys of his office with one of his most trusted secretaries, party sources added.

It may be recalled that party spokesman Parkala Prabhakar recently said that he had a strong feeling that their telephones were being tapped. He said the suspicion was strengthened since the discussion that had taken place between Allu Arvind and TRS MLA T Harish Rao was reported in toto by the media.