Ramesh Kandula
The uproar over IndiGo’s nationwide flight disruptions has produced one of the Telugu Desam Party’s most avoidable political self-goals in recent times. What began as a routine aviation crisis—with chaotic airport scenes, grounded aircraft and widespread passenger distress—unexpectedly drew the TDP into a Republic TV crossfire, even though the party and the Andhra Pradesh Government had absolutely no connection to the issue.
A Misstep With No Need: Entering Arnab’s Debate
Republic TV’s Arnab Goswami hosted a high-decibel debate on the IndiGo crisis. For reasons that remain unclear, the TDP chose to participate—despite having no role in civil aviation, an entirely Central subject. That decision alone was unnecessary. But what followed turned a non-issue into a full-blown controversy.
In the debate, TDP leader Deepak Reddy inexplicably invoked the name of Nara Lokesh. He suggested Lokesh was “supervising everything” and had “set up a war room” to monitor the unfolding aviation chaos. Arnab, unsurprisingly, pounced:
“Who is Nara Lokesh, and what is his connection to this affair?”
It was a fair question, because Lokesh, an AP Minister, has no jurisdiction over aviation operations. By dragging his name into an irrelevant debate, the TDP handed Arnab an opening he did not otherwise have.
TDP Supporters Escalate; Arnab Fires Back
Instead of quietly letting the matter end, sections of TDP supporters escalated it—questioning Arnab’s journalism and even floating calls to boycott Republic TV. This was the second and far more damaging misstep.
The boycott noise reached Arnab, who returned with a blistering rebuttal:
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Boycotts have “zero impact”.
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The TDP’s reaction only “made us ask more questions”.
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“Tell your minister to do his job.”
This response blindsided the party, especially because Republic TV has historically supported Chandrababu Naidu—even during politically difficult phases such as his arrest. The blowback created an unnecessary headache for the TDP, entirely of its own making.
Deflection Tactics: Arnab Targets the TDP Minister
Another layer emerged as Arnab repeatedly hammered Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu—referring to him as the “TDP Minister” nearly 30 times. The analysis suggests this was a strategic deflection. The aviation crisis stems from systemic issues and policy lapses that predate the current minister. Yet Arnab avoided criticizing the BJP-led Central Government, under which aviation falls.
Targeting the TDP Minister allowed Arnab to shield the BJP while shifting the spotlight away from deeper structural failures within the aviation ecosystem.
A Clear Lesson for the TDP
The episode offers a straightforward takeaway: not every controversy requires intervention.
By unnecessarily entering the debate, invoking Lokesh’s name, defending themselves on multiple Telugu channels and allowing supporters to wage a misguided boycott war on Arnab, the TDP turned a non-issue into an avoidable public relations setback.
Silence would have been wiser. A factual clarification would have sufficed. Instead, the party walked straight into a trap—one Arnab was always ready for.
In the age of high-decibel media, restraint is not weakness. It is strategy. And the TDP, having learned this lesson the hard way, will need to remember it the next time a storm it does not own begins to swirl.
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