In his second open letter to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu within three months, YSR Congress Party (YCP) chief Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that the TDP government failed to pay unemployment allowance. The letter was similar to the one he wrote in February before budget session, but this time he accused the government for failing to disburse the amount, as Naidu claimed that a budgetary allocation had been made for the unemployment allowance.

It may be recalled that the Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu presenting the budget said that rupees 500 crores had been allocated for “assistance” to unemployed youth. The TDP government allegedly is studying the course for distribution of the allowance to the unemployed youth in the State. It’s been a few months and there is hardly any progress on the process or update on the study.

TDP leaders react impulsively over Jagan writing a letter instead of acting on the content in the letter. As always TDP Minister Kollu Ravindra and MLA Bonda Uma Maheshwar Rao in their trade mark style said, “Jagan has no right to talk on unemployment”. Last week when the YCP chief took up hunger strike for two days, they said “he is not eligible”.

Jagan basically has “no right to speak on defections”, “no right to talk about corruption in the dealing of Capital lands”, “no right to demand SCS”, “no right to criticize TDP or Chandrababu”, “no right to talk about loan waiver”, “no moral right to continue as Leader of the Opposition” and finally “no right on YSR’s schemes”. Last but not the least, in the budget session, Yanamala found fault with Jagan using the washroom during the discussion.

Despite being in opposition for ten years, TDP leaders weirdly have new criteria for the opposition leader each time he tries to do something. The ruling party leaders might as well release a booklet with the opposition leader’s privileges and entitlements. Anyhow Jagan’s wrongdoings are always on the tip of their tongue. Irony dies a thousand deaths, when the same TDP in Telangana, question counterpart TRS government’s repressive behaviour. Why have double standards when TDP can do just fine with one standard.