VIJAYAWADA: Loksatta chief Jayaprakash Narayan was all praise for Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan for disregarding the risks of championing the public cause and taking the initiative for fighting for the rights of the state, that too at the height of his film career. “It is not a small matter, I appreciate him,” he said after a meeting with Pawan Kalyan on Thursday. Pawan Kalyan, who announced his intention to form a Joint Action Committee on the lines of Telangana JAC, with likes of Undavalli Arun Kumar, Jayprakash Narayan and other intellectuals, on Wednesday, took the initiative and went to meet Loksatta chief at the latter’s office in Hyderabad on Thursday.
He discussed various issues pertaining to the state bifurcation, the present scenario in the state and his intention to form a JAC to fight for the rights of Telugu States. Later, speaking to mediapersons, Pawan Kalyan thanked the people for making the state bandh, which Jana Sena supported, a success. He said several issues pertaining to AP Reorganisation Act remained unresolved and opined that there was a need for getting them resolved. He said the main objective of the JAC, Think Tank, Strategy Group or whatever name one gives it, was to wage a struggle in a democratic process. When pointed out that it was too late with elections fast approaching, he said it’s not as the issue was related to the sentiment of the people. He said both state and central government misled the people with their contradictory statements regarding the special package.
Jayaprakash Narayan, who agreed with what Pawan Kalyan, recalled the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s proposal on the floor of the House for a Bundhelkhand-like package for backward districts of Andhra Pradesh. “As per 2011 census, the Bundelkhand population was 1.83 crore and per head, they got Rs 4000 and, going by it, Rayalaseema and North Andhra districts which have a total population of 2.45 crore should get a package of `10,000 crore. Where is that package?” he questioned.