In recent times, incidents involving the children of political leaders going astray have been increasing. Whenever such incidents occur, the leaders claim that their children have no role in them, but police investigations often indicate otherwise. The culture of ‘Managed Politics’ is also growing.
It is well known that the son of a political leader got involved in a hit-and-run case and fled abroad. Recently, Telangana police arrested that leader’s son. Similarly, the son of a key TDP leader, who is also a public representative himself, got caught in a drugs case. Most recently, a POCSO case was registered against the son of a Union Minister of State.
These are not isolated incidents. In both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, the children of several ministers have been implicated in various cases. The daughter of a woman minister from Telangana had created controversy some time ago by misbehaving with police officers, forcing the Chief Minister himself to intervene and resolve the issue.
In Andhra Pradesh too, the son of a minister is facing allegations in a harassment case. Thus, the children of political leaders are increasingly going off track. Leaders often allege that these incidents are being politicized and used to tarnish their families image. However, reports and investigations are revealing the actual facts.
Analysts say that it is ultimately the responsibility of leaders to ensure that their children do not go astray. One of the major reasons appears to be the unchecked freedom given to the children of those in power. In the past, people serving as Chief Ministers or ministers generally kept their families away from political affairs. But now, MLAs are bringing their children to assembly sessions, and ministers are even sending their children in their place to certain events. This effectively grants them authority they do not officially possess.
As a result, these children develop a strong belief that no matter what they do, their families will manage the consequences for them. This sense of protection encourages reckless behavior. Observers argue that instead of controlling such actions, leaders often counterattack by claiming political conspiracies by opponents, which ultimately benefits no one.