BJP MLA P Manikyala Rao on Saturday met Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Mannam Malakondaiah, and submitted a representation requesting him to take action on the claims made by a Tollywood actor.
The actor in question, Sivaji, had alleged that a national party was trying to take control of the south Indian states, and has dubbed its plans ‘Operation Dravida’.
In a press release, Manikyala questioned the allegations by Sivaji, and demanded a thorough inquiry into the actor's claims.
The BJP legislator also demanded that if the allegations were true, the people behind the operation must be identified, and appropriate action must be taken.
"These baseless charges are aimed at spoiling the prospects of BJP whose popularity is growing among the people in these states," Rao was quoted as saying.
Addressing a press conference in Vijayawada on Thursday, actor Sivaji said that Rs 4,800 crore was being spent for 'Operation Davida' in Andhra Pradesh.
While he didn't directly name the party, it was seemingly directed at the BJP. He also alleged that two local political parties, presumably the Jana Sena party and the YSRCP, were helping the national party.
“A year ago, Operation Dravida was explained to me. The target of that party is to bring the entire South India under its grip by 2019. As a citizen of the state, I felt duty-bound to share this since I will impact the future of the state. If you ask me how should I be trusted, I don’t have an answer. It’s up to you," Sivaji told reporters.
The Tollywood actor also said that each southern state was assigned a code name, with the operation in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana dubbed ‘Operation Garuda’, while it was ‘Operation Kumara’ in Karnataka and ‘Operation Ravana’ in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
He also released a 20-minute video to the media, where he indirectly reminded people that he was part of the BJP at one time, even going on a fast in 2015 over the Centre's move of going back on its promise to grant Special Category Status (SCS) to the state.
In the video, Sivaji claimed that the new party led by one 'Kalyan ji' and the regional party will join hands and defeat the major local party in 2019, following which the national party will put its plan into action.
Sivaji claimed that the 'new party' chief would be offered the post of a Union Minister, while the head of the regional party would be sent to jail for existing cases that he is fighting in court, following which a Telugu leader from the national party would take charge.