Jana Sena Party MLA Bolishetti Srinivas, known for his controversial comments about the Telugu Desam Party’s dominance in the coalition government in Andhra Pradesh, has come out with fresh allegations, claiming that attempts were being made to perform black magic rituals intended to harm him and his associates.
Bolishetti, who represents the Tadepalligudem Assembly constituency, said he would approach the police over what he described as “black magic” practices.
The MLA said his friend was admitted to hospital after a religious practitioner allegedly made certain remarks about his health.
He said nobody should indulge in practices or rituals aimed at causing the death of another person and warned that such statements could have serious consequences for the families concerned.
Bolishetti said he would lodge a police complaint against the person who allegedly made statements suggesting that one individual was undergoing treatment in Hyderabad while another would “soon leave”.
“Playing with people’s lives is not right,” he said, adding that his friend was currently battling an illness in hospital.
The MLA also appealed to leaders and cadres of the ruling alliance to work together instead of allowing political differences to turn into personal hostility.
He said he had been working on several development programmes in his constituency but was nevertheless being portrayed as a “traitor” or as someone opposed to the alliance.
He expressed concern over incidents in which Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers were allegedly threatened when they visited his constituency.
Bolishetti said the alliance partners should work together and face elections collectively. He asserted that he would uphold “coalition dharma” and work in the interests of the alliance.
The JSP MLA said political differences should not translate into personal enmity. He referred to former minister and former Tadepalligudem MLA Kottu Satyanarayana, saying that the latter had represented the constituency before him and that he had subsequently been elected as MLA.
“If there are mistakes, he can criticise me and I can criticise him. But I have never wished for anyone to die, not even my enemy,” Bolishetti said.
He claimed that comments being made about him in the media had caused concern among his family members and said his family had been unable to sleep peacefully because of the controversy.
The MLA also said political parties would continue to exist regardless of differences among leaders. He referred to the YSR Congress Party, its president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the BJP, saying that political opponents could not simply be wished away.
“If everyone who stands in our way is wished dead, there will be nobody left,” he said. Bolishetti invoked the concept of karma and said people should remember that actions and statements could have consequences.
He further said he had not made any objectionable remarks against Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu or Minister Nara Lokesh and maintained that he was working with full commitment under the coalition government.
