Visakhapatnam: Don't fall into Naidu's trap, Muttamsetti tells Pawan

Visakhapatnam: Leaders of the YSRCP here have reacted strongly to the remarks made by Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan during his long march followed by the public meeting on Sunday.

Addressing media here on Monday, Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao lashed out at the JSP chief saying that he was acting under the direction of TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and asked him to differentiate between cinema and politics as they both were different from one another.

Reminding Pawan of his defeat at two Assembly constituencies – Gajuwaka and Bhimavaram – he contested in the last elections, Srinivasa Rao mentioned Pawan has no right to criticise the YSRCP leaders who won with a massive mandate. Further, the Minister pointed out that the JSP had fallen in the trap of Naidu as he was known to 'ditching' political leaders and actors once his mission was accomplished.

Referring to long march as 'wrong' march, Srinivasa Rao further said that Pawan's sole objective was to criticise the YSRCP leaders and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy rather than addressing the gathering on the sand issue. "Since Naidu has no guts to talk against the YSRCP, he is provoking Pawan to take the lead," he pointed out.

"We are ready to consider the opinion of other party leaders for our betterment but there is a way to communicate it. Let us not confine to misleading the youth, particularly youth belonging to Kapu community," the Minister asserted.

Dubbing that Pawan had come to cinema field because of his brother Chiranjeevi's support, the Minister said, "But unlike Pawan, I have come up in life independently." He suggested the JSP chief to mend himself and his party before criticising the YSRCP which is keen on providing 'transparent' and 'corruption-free' governance.

"People have given a massive mandate to Jagan Mohan Reddy and they would not keep quiet if Pawan continues to make such derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister," the Minister warned.

Taking strong exception to Pawan Kalyan's remarks, MP M V V Satyanarayana alleged that it was during the TDP regime, sand mafia ruled the roost and Jagan Mohan Reddy was trying to streamline the system. "Soon, the issue would be sorted out and everything would fall in place," he maintained.

VMRDA Chairman Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao said it was unfortunate that Jana Sena chief was using the platform in the name of long march to attack on YSRCP leaders.

He advised him to play 'constructive' role and cooperate with the government if he was serious about fighting for the cause of construction workers and assured that the sand problem would be resolved soon.