Supporters of Jr NTR, Lokesh fight in TANA meeting

HYDERABAD: In a meeting meant to foster unity of Telugu-speaking people living in North America, supporters of Telugu cine idol Jr NTR and heir apparent of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Nara Lokesh entered into a fistfight at Pennsylvania Convention Centre of Philadelphia city in the USA.

The occasion was the 23rd Telugu Association of North America (TANA) inaugurated by none other than former Vice President Muppavarapu Venkaiah Naidu, former Chief Justice of Supreme Court NV Ramana and actor and Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna on July 8, 2023.

The brawl started when one of the supporters of Jr NTR made a comment that Lokesh who considered himself a novice was unfit to lead TDP in the 2024 elections in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The Jr NTR fan group further made a demand of bringing the young actor to save the TDP which they considered was set to be doomed under Lokesh.

Infuriated by these comments the Telugu-speaking youth divided into two groups under Tarani Parchuri and Satish Vemana and started fighting in the presence of TDP NRI coordinator Komati Jayaram.

The verbal duel slowly turned into a full-blown fistfight even though some of the onlookers tried to pacify the TDP and pro Jr NTR groups. At one stage the supporters of Jr NTR and Lokesh threw sticks at each other and tore their shirts. Finally, the fight subsided but the images would linger on in the memories of those who attended the TANA meeting with great aspiration and hope.