Water poured on YSR statue in unusual tribute on death anniversary
YSRCP leader pours water over YSR statue as 'Jala Abhishekam', linking tribute to irrigation legacy and Veligonda project.
On the 17th death anniversary of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, a YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader chose an unconventional way to pay homage. Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, who serves as the party's undivided Chittoor district president and is a former chairman of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD), poured buckets of water over the late leader's bust.
While most followers offered garlands or poured milk over statues, Mr. Karunakar Reddy described his act as a 'Jala Abhishekam' — a water ritual he deemed fitting for a leader known for his flagship 'Jalayagnam' irrigation initiative.
The tribute drew public attention as it came just a day after Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu inaugurated the Veligonda project in Markapuram district. The YSRCP has dismissed this inauguration as an attempt to take undue credit, with party chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy calling it 'credit chori'.
Mr. Karunakar Reddy defended his gesture, asserting that the YSR and Jagan regimes were instrumental in advancing the Veligonda project to its current stage. He maintained that offering water to his political idol was a symbolic acknowledgment of the late CM's contributions to irrigation development in the state.