Former chief secretary of Andhra allegedly loses job for anti-government posts on social media

The Chandrababu Naidu-led government on Tuesday sacked former Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao as chairperson of Andhra Pradesh Brahmin Welfare Corporation for allegedly posting and sharing anti-government comments on social media, Hindustan Times reported. Rao was immediately replaced by Vemuri Anand Surya, reported Bangalore Mirror.

Rao had allegedly shared posts criticising Naidu and the ruling Telegu Desam Party on his Facebook page. Rao had met chief minister Naidu in Amravati recently and was asked to explain his posts on social media. The order to replace him was issued soon after the meeting.

Rao strongly defended his social media posts. “I don’t find anything wrong in my comments or sharing of some postings,” he was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times. “In my view, it is my fundamental duty to express my views and they have nothing to do with my functioning as the chairman of Brahmin welfare corporation.”

Rao had retired in 2016 as the first chief secretary of the state, after the bifurcation of the combined Andhra Pradesh. He was then appointed as chairperson of AP Brahmin Welfare Corporation, which was constituted by the Naidu government to help poor Brahmins.

Officials, however, said several party leaders and MLAs had complained about Rao to Naidu in the past few months. They accused Rao of fraternising with the leaders from the YSR Congress party and claimed that the benefits of various welfare schemes implemented by the corporation were not reaching the poor.

Rao has refuted these allegations. “If the chief minister thought I should have behaved like a TDP nominee, I am sorry, I would never become one,” he said.

On his Facebook page, Rao questioned the government’s decision to grant entertainment tax exemption to the Telugu film Gautami Putra Satakarni, in which Naidu’s brother-in-law Nandamuri Balakrishna played the lead character. He also questioned the decision allowing distributors of Baahubali 2 to screen more shows in theatres and increase the ticket prices. Rao also criticised the Naidu government for arresting and filing cases against social media activist Inturi Ravi Kiran. Ravi Kiran had allegedly posted satirical cartoons about the chief minister and his son Nara Lokesh.