VIJAYAWADA: Strongly objecting to her uncle Ashok Gajapati Raju's comments, an emotional Sanchaita Gajapati Raju on Saturday asserted her Hindu identity and her right as a woman and the legal heir of her father, the late Ananda Gajapati Raju, to defend her appointment as the chairperson of the Simhachalam and Maharaja Alak Narayana Society of Arts and Sciences (MANSAS) trust boards.
"I never thought my uncle would issue such statements. I heard some are uploading photos of my visit to the Vatican to claim I am not a Hindu. I am the daughter of Uma Gajapati Raju and Ananda Gajapati Raju. They are both Hindus. Yes, I go to churches. I may go to other religious places. I would like to ask my uncle, hasn’t he ever visited a Gurudwara, mosque or a church? He visited them several times and clicked photos. Does it mean he is not a Hindu?" she questioned.
Emotional and combative by turns, the young woman reiterated her rationale for approaching the government to be on the MANSAS trust board.
"We have had differences in our extended family but I have never given a false picture. I have been taught to respect people who are older. I believe I should stand up for my rights. I feel this is my destiny and this is also my responsibility and my right. I applied saying that as the eldest legal heir of my father, I have the right to be a part of these organisations. Should not a woman render service? I have faith in the judicial system and God," she said.
She broke down when asked about her relationship with the Gajapati family. “I was born in Hyderabad. I went to Delhi for schooling. My mother brought me up. Daddy didn’t come to Delhi after 1996. His health was not very good. My access to him was very limited after his second marriage. He told me my blessings will always be with me. I met him a few times and very unpleasant things happened with the extended family. When he passed away in 2016, they didn’t even let me stay in the house. Anyway, it is my fate. I have strength.
I never asked them for anything. I may be emotional but I am strong. I fought the case legally. When he (Ashok Gajapati Raju) was the minister, with my step-mother and all, they filed a false affidavit in court claiming I don’t exist. Am I not here before you?” she questioned, breaking into tears. The part about her not being allowed to stay in the family residence was explained in a different way by Ashok Gajapati Raju. The former minister, at his press conference, recalled that she couldn’t stay in the house as there was no space. Accommodation was arranged for her at a family friend’s residence, he clarified.
Asked about her uncle’s assertion that it was her grandfather’s wish that only a male heir could head the trust, she shot back with the remark that anyone questioning the nomination of a woman to the temple or educational trust was doing injustice to her grandfather who was always committed to women’s empowerment.
“After all, he set up the first women’s college. He believed in educating women and having them in decision-making roles. Moreover, AP was one of the first states where NTR talked about empowering women, giving them equal rights in ownership of property. Now, some political leaders from the same party say women should not be here. I am unable to understand why they don’t support women’s rights. It is a sad situation,” she said.
She further asked her critics, "Do you know over 60 per cent of the students in MANSAS-run educational institutions are girls? I am very disappointed when a few individuals from a particular political party ask these kind of questions. Do they not have daughters?"