Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma booked for offensive posts against Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu: Report

Police in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district has filed a case against filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma for allegedly making derogatory posts about Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his son and state minister Nara Lokesh and his daughter-in-law Brahmini, IANS reported on Monday.

The case was filed based on the complaint by a local leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) against Varma at Maddipadu Police Station.

According to the report, TDP Mandal Parishad Secretary Ramalingam complained about Varma, who made the alleged derogatory comments last year against then Leader of Opposition Chandrababu Naidu and his family members. The case was filed under the IT Act, and the police have taken up the investigation.

Earlier, as part of the promotions for his movie ‘Vyuham’, Varma made the comments on social media.

His movie was released late last year during simultaneous polls to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and Lok Sabha. Varma's movie is based on the events that led to the tragic death of then Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in a helicopter crash in 2009 and the subsequent formation of the YSR Congress Party by his son YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Previous conflicts: 

RGV, who is close to the YSR Congress, has been a bitter critic of Chandrababu Naidu and earlier made the movie 'Lakshmi's NTR', which is about the love and marriage of TDP founder and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao (NTR) with Lakshmi Parvathi.

The film portrayed the controversial role of NTR's son-in-law, Chandrababu Naidu, who led a revolt against NTR in 1995 to become the Chief Minister.

On several occasions, RGV allegedly made derogatory comments against Naidu, Lokesh and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan, now the Deputy Chief Minister.

The case against RGV has been registered at a time when the coalition government of TDP, Jana Sena, and BJP is targeting YSRCP social media activists and their supporters. Several YSRCP leaders, workers and supporters have been arrested for derogatory comments made in the past.

In December 2023, RGV lodged an online complaint with Andhra Pradesh police against activist Kolikapudi Sreenivas Rao for offering a ₹1 crore bounty on his head. He also alleged that TDP and its supremo Chandrababu Naidu's representatives were publicly offering monetary contracts to cut people's heads on supportive TV channels.

RGV also slammed Chandrababu Naidu, Lokesh, and Pawan Kalyan for protesting outside his office in Hyderabad.

With agency inputs.