by Raveendra Popuri
What was officially organized as a state civic event to open the Alluri Sitarama Raju International Airport turned into a grand display of political deference and ostentation on Saturday.
The Andhra Pradesh government spared no expense for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reception. Public funds were used to build an elaborate, flower-laden motorcade, deploy a massive security apparatus, and arrange a welcome performance featuring 13,000 tribal women doing the traditional Dhimsa Dance.
However, as the Prime Minister waved to the crowd from an open vehicle flanked by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, the focus shifted rapidly. The ceremony moved away from launching regional infrastructure and turned into explicit personal veneration. Ironically, freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju—whose name was given to the airport—seemed dwarfed by the overwhelming praises directed at Narendra Modi by Andhra Pradesh’s top leaders.
Pawan Kalyan Equates Governance to Divine Mission
The most direct departure from standard ministerial speech came during the address by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. Responding to political criticism directed at the Prime Minister, Kalyan framed Modi’s national governance in Mythological Terms.
Extending his metaphor, the Deputy Chief Minister explicitly likened the Prime Minister to a deity while defining the state government’s role as subordinate devotion:
Kalyan further urged that the Prime Minister should remain in office indefinitely, asserting that leaders should ensure Modi stays in power as long as he wishes. He added that managing a country of 140 Crore people amidst internal and external pressures was beyond ordinary political capability.
Chandrababu Naidu Anchors State Progress to Modi’s Individual Leadership
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu similarly centered his entire address on praise for the Prime Minister’s personal authority and global standing. Rather than framing the greenfield airport as a shared federal milestone, Naidu repeatedly credited state progress directly to Modi’s personal oversight.
“Mr. Narendra Modi is the right man at the right time and at the right place. The nation is blessed with his leadership,” Naidu told the gathering.
Calling the Prime Minister the “tallest leader in the world,” Naidu urged the audience to stand up and show explicit personal support for Modi. He linked economic stability, global standing, and incoming technology projects directly to Modi’s 25-year administrative record.
“The world has moved from IT to AI… but we need a leader to deliver. Democratic countries everywhere are facing crises, searching for new leaders. India is fortunate. There is tested leadership,” Naidu added.
Cabinet Colleagues Join in Eulogizing “NaMo”
The adulatory tone was reinforced by other state cabinet ministers present on stage. State HRD Minister Nara Lokesh used his address to counter political critics by invoking the Prime Minister’s popular acronym.
“An airport has been established here today and an Airbus has arrived. NaMo himself has arrived at a place where they (YS Jagan) said even a Red bus will not come,” Lokesh remarked, adding: “While Alluri Sitarama Raju fought for freedom on this soil, it is our NaMo who has given wings to North Andhra’s dreams.”
The Dilution of Institutional Decorum
While joint inauguration events typically feature political alignment between Union and State leaders, the level of public flattery displayed at Bhogapuram crossed established lines of official decorum.
By deploying state resources for an extravagant spectacle and using official podiums to pledge complete personal deference, Andhra Pradesh’s leadership transformed a public civic event into an exercise in panegyric praise. Critics point out that such sycophancy undermines the institutional dignity of constitutional state offices, reducing collaborative federalism to public subservience.
