Won't leave Vizag till JSP leaders are set free

Visakhapatnam: Vizag city is on boil. Thanks to the YSRCP Garjana followed by the roaring of Jana Sena activists on Sunday. While the YSRCP Garjana was demanding executive capital at Vizag, the roar of Jana Sena was against "police highhandedness and preventing Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan from conducting Jana Vani programme in the city.

The city on Sunday witnessed high tension as Pawan announced that he would not leave Vizag unless the party activists and leaders who were arrested by the police since Saturday were released. After consulting party leaders and legal team, Pawan decided to take recourse to legal action against what he said were "illegal arrests".

Pawan Kalyan has postponed the Jana Vani programme scheduled to be held at Port Kalavani Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Sunday. He said the party had taken the decision in the wake of arrests of over 100 key JSP leaders. Pawan took to Twitter saying, "It is very unfortunate to witness very highhanded police behaviour in Visakhapatnam. Jana Sena has always held police force in high esteem but arresting our leaders was unwarranted." In another tweet he said, "I request the DGP to intervene and release the JSP leaders or else I would be forced to express my solidarity with them at the police station." He further tweeted in the evening, "I just got an idea. Why not go for a walk in the beach for some fresh air."

This led to massive crowds of fans and party activists reaching Novotel hotel in the seashore and it became a herculean task for the police to control them. The area reverberated with slogans against the police and the government. Pawan has been greeting the crowds from his hotel window once every 15 minutes. Dispersing them had become a gigantic task for them despite deploying heavy police force. Late in the evening, they resorted to lathicharge.

Earlier speaking to the media, Pawan said the JSP is firm that "capital cannot change whenever king changes." He alleged that the police thwarted his efforts to hold North Andhra party meeting though it had nothing to do with the YSRCP Garjana. He said the JSP had sought the permission three months ago but under instructions from the government, the police had enacted high drama since Saturday evening. Several policemen descended at the hotel, knocked on the doors of party leaders, harassed and arrested them, he alleged.

This had led to war or words between the YSRCP ministers and Jana Sena leaders. Minister Botsa Satyanarayana said that those who oppose Vizag would be treated as traitors. He added that the JSP was of no use to people and cannot be considered as a political party.

Another minister Ambati Rambabu said it was not "Jana Vani but Babu Vani." Tourism minister R K Roja said that they would not leave anyone who attacked her.

Meanwhile, the TDP condemned the police highhandedness on the JSP workers. TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and State BJP chief Somu Veerraju spoke to Pawan over phone and inquired about the situation.