Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has landed in trouble with the law for his alleged derogatory posts against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his family. A case has been registered against Varma at Maddipadu Police Station in Prakasam district, based on a complaint filed by TDP Mandal Parishad Secretary Ramalingam. The complaint alleges that Varma made derogatory comments against Naidu, his son and state minister Nara Lokesh, and daughter-in-law Brahmini, last year when Naidu was the Leader of Opposition.
Varma, known for his controversial films, had made the comments on social media as part of the promotions for his movie 'Vyuham', which was released late last year. The movie is based on the events leading to the tragic death of former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in 2009 and the subsequent formation of the YSR Congress Party. Varma has been a vocal critic of Chandrababu Naidu and has made several derogatory comments against him, Lokesh, and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan in the past.
The case against Varma comes at a time when the coalition government of TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP is cracking down on YSRCP social media activists and supporters who had targeted TDP and Jana Sena leaders. Several YSRCP leaders, workers, and supporters have been arrested in recent days for derogatory comments made in the past. Varma had also lodged a complaint with the Andhra Pradesh police last December against activist Kolikapudi Sreenivas Rao for offering a Rs 1 crore bounty on his head.
The police have filed a case under the IT Act and are investigating the matter. Varma's film 'Lakshmi's NTR' had also sparked controversy for its portrayal of Chandrababu Naidu's role in the revolt against his father-in-law, N. T. Rama Rao. With this new development, the battle between Varma and the TDP leadership is likely to intensify.