​Several senior officials remained mute spectators as Balakrishna conducted a review meeting.

Actor-politician Nandamuri Balakrishna triggered a row after he occupied Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's chair at the latter's office in the Velgapudi Secretraiat.

Balakrishna, who is also the TDP MLA from Hindpur in Anantapur district, was conducting a review meeting on the upcoming Lepakshi festival in his constituency.

 ​According to reports, Balakrishna took the seat even as Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and senior IAS officials remained mute spectators.

Naidu and his son and Andhra IT Minister Nara Lokesh, are in Davos from January 21 to 25 to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF).

In their absence, many were upset that Balakrishna misused his relationship with the Chief Minister. Balakrishna's sister, Nara Bhuvaneshwari, is married to Naidu, while his daughter, Nara Brahmini is married to Lokesh.

“Personal relationships should not intrude into official places, especially in the high positions in the state. Moreover, there are conference halls in every block and Mr Balakrishna could have chosen any of them instead of the one in the CMO,” an official told DC. 

Balakrishna is constantly in the news for his short temper, as he is known to have slapped multiple people on camera, including his own fans.

Balayya, as he is popularly known, is former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao's son. In last year, during his electoral campaign tour in Nandyal of Kurnool, he slapped a party man who tried to take a selfie with him.

In the same month, he whacked an assistant director on the sets of Paisa Vasool, and forced him to pick his shoes up.

In March last year, much before this episode, Balakrishna had also invited solid criticism for making misogynistic remarks against women actors at an audio release functions.

“If I play eve-teasing roles, and just follow girls, my fans will not accept. Either they should be kissed or should be impregnated. That’s all. We have to commit ourselves,” he had said.

“I too act naughty with the actresses... I pinch them sometimes,” the actor added.

Maaveerar Naal is a remembrance day observed by Sri Lankan Tamil peopleto remember the deaths of militants who fought for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). It is held each year on 27 November, the date on which the first LTTE cadre, Lt. Shankar (Sathiyanathan alias Suresh), is said to have died in combat in 1982. Traditionally oil lamps are lit for the three days ending on the 27 November and the Tamil Eelam flag is raised at ceremonies. The symbol for Maaveerar Naal is the karthigaipoo (Gloriosa superba), which blooms during November.

HISTORY

The first Maaveerar Naal was held on 27 November 1989.The date was chosen as it was the anniversary of the first LTTE cadre to die in combat, Lt. Shankar (Sathiyanathan alias Suresh), who died on 27 November 1982. On 27 November 1989 around 600 LTTE cadres gathered secretly in the jungles near Nithikaikulam in Manal Aru, Mullaitivu District, to remember their fallen comrades who at that time numbered around 1,300. In his speech LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran told the gathering that if he ever betrayed Tamil Eelam they must kill him.

Following the withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in 1990 the LTTE gained controlled of large areas of territory in the north and east of Sri Lanka.The LTTE started developing ways to commemorate its dead heroes. They built thuyilum illam (resting place) for their maaveerar (great heroes) in territory they controlled.In 1991 the week leading up to Maaveerar Naal was declared Great Heroes' Week. This resulted in Prabhakaran's birthday, which falls on 26 November, being included in the commemorations. The celebration of Prabhakaran's birthday began to overshadow the Maaveerar Naal commemorations to an extent that some even believed that Maaveerar Naal was a celebration of Prabhakaran's birthday.[4] This resulted in Prabhakaran banning any celebration of his birthday. Commemorations eventually started amongst the growing Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora.

Over the years the commemorations became more elaborate, involving meetings, religious rituals, processions and exhibitions with cut-outs, posters and handbills of the dead cadres being distributed widely. Every village and every school were expected commemorate their dead cadres. Families of the dead cadres would gather at thuyilum illam to mourn their dead relatives. The culmination of the commemorations was a great function at a special location at which the reclusive Prabhakaran gave a speech which started at 6.05pm, the precise time Lt. Shankar died. The highly anticipated speeches began to take on the form of an annual policy statement by the LTTE and were broadcast on LTTE affiliated radio and TV stations in LTTE controlled areas and abroad.

After the Sri Lankan military recaptured the Jaffna peninsula in 1995 they destroyed LTTE cemeteries - thuyilum illam - in the area including those at Chaadi, Ellangkulam, Kodikamam and Kopay. Following the start of the Norwegian mediated peace process in 2002 the LTTE started rebuilding their war cemeteries.Maaveerar Naal commemorations were allowed in government territory. In 2004 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MPs were allowed to light oil lamps in front of the Parliamentto commemorate Maaveerar Naal.However, after the peace process stalled the Sri Lankan military started imposing restrictions on Maaveerar Naal commemorations and destroying LTTE cemeteries