Anantapur: Telugu Desam national general-secretary Nara Lokesh family experienced tense moments on Wednesday while he was leaving the home at Hyderabad for his Yuva Galam padayatra through AP for the coming 400 days at a stretch.
Lokesh left his home after taking blessings from his father Nara Chandrababu Naidu and mother Bhuvaneswari as also father-in-law Nandamuri Balakrishna, mother-in-law Vasundhara and other family members.
Left: Lokesh takes blessings from his father Nara Chandrababu Naidu and mother Bhuvaneswari; right from his father-in-law Nandamuri Balakrishna, mother-in-law Vasundhara. (Photo: Twitter @naralokesh)
He would start the 400-day yatra at Kuppam on January 27. Prior to this, Lokesh and his wife Brahmani offered puja at the house in the presence of their son Devansh and other family members.
Lokesh said he would be away from home for long but would speak to his son over video calls everyday till the completion of the yatra from Kuppam to Srikkakulam.
Lokesh with his Brahmani and son before leaving for his 400-day yatra. (Photo: Twitter @naralokesh)
Brahmani held the ritual of offering a coconut in front of the vehicle, for divine blessings and safe journey.
Lokesh reached NTR Ghat in Hyderabad, where he offered floral tributes to his grandfather and Telugu Desam founder N.T. Rama Rao and proceeded to the International Airport. From there, he flew to Kadapa and reached the historic Devuni Gadapa Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple and offered puja there.
Later, he went to the Ameen Peer Dargah in the town and offered traditional offerings there. Accompanied by a large number of TD activists and leaders from Kadapa, Lokesh visited the local church in Mariyapuram and offered prayers.
Lokesh later left for Tirumala for prayers at the Lord Venkateswara Swamy temple. After staying at the guesthouse in Tirumala, Lokesh will have darshan of Lord Venkateswara Swamy there on January 26 and reach Kuppam by afternoon.
Lokesh wrote a letter to the public, explaining the aim of his Yuva Galam padayatra in the state and sought blessings from the people. “Everybody in the state is a victim in the ‘badudu palana’ as YSRC leaders are targeting opposition parties instead of finding solutions to the people’s grievances. No new industries are coming to AP and the existing industries are shifting to other states due to harassment from the Jagan Mohan Reddy government,” he alleged.
Lokesh alleged that the police department was being misused for the purpose of provoking a faction in the state. “It is time to teach a lesson to Jagan Mohan Reddy by weeding out his government. Hence, the padayatra will be held with a commitment to highlight lapses of Jagan Mohan Reddy,” he said.
