Nirmala Sitharaman''s husband resigns as AP''s Communications Adviser

Suresh Dharur

Tribune News Service

Hyderabad, June 19

The Communications Adviser to the Andhra Pradesh government, Parakala Prabhakar, has resigned from his post, saying he was hurt by the “slanderous campaign” by leaders of the opposition YSR Congress Party.

Prabhakar, who is the husband of the Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has been the target of the Opposition’s insinuations ever since the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ended its alliance with the BJP and walked out of the NDA over denial of Special Category Status to AP.

An alumnus of London School of Economics (LSE) and a well-known political commentator, Prabhakar has been the Communications Adviser for the last four years and is considered a close confidant of the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The sudden move is seen as a fallout of the changing political dynamics in the state in the wake of the bitter end to the TDP-BJP alliance.

“For the past few days, a few Opposition leaders are pointing fingers at me and questioning why you have been accommodating me, even as you are fighting with the BJP and the Union government,” he said in his resignation letter to the Chief Minister.

Prabhakar recalled that Naidu continued to repose faith in him, despite a sustained campaign by the Opposition. The YSR Congress leaders, including its president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, had questioned Prabhakar’s continuance in the Chief Minister’s Office even after the TDP parted ways with the BJP.

”They (Opposition parties) are trying to rake up doubts on the struggle that you are leading against the Union Government. They are using my existence in the government to mock your commitment towards the state. Even a responsible Opposition leader like Jagan Mohan Reddy, too, has raised the same issue, and reduced your struggle and commitment. That hurt me a lot,” Prabhakar said in his letter.

“Claims are being made that because my family member belongs to another party, and has different political views, I might compromise on the state’s interest. These rumours have been manufactured by some people, which have deeply hurt me. I would not want that to tarnish the image of the government or this agitation (for special status for AP),” he said.

Stating that the Chief Minister had repeatedly placed trust in him, he said he did not want his name and his family’s name to be misused to sling mud at the Chief Minister or the government.

”My wish is that there should not be a black mark on your commitment and I do not want you or your government to be disrespected,” Prabhakar said.