Ram Gopal Varma detained by police at Vijayawada; press meet cancelled
VIJAYAWADA: Popular film Director Ram Gopal Varma was detained by the police at Ramavarappadu here on Sunday when he was on the way to address a press conference in the city.
With hotels in Vijayawada denied permission to Mr Varma to hold a media conference to explain about the controversial Telugu film Lakshimi's NTR, a biopic of Telugu Desam Party Founder and former Chief Minister NT Rama Rao, directed by him and to be released on May 1, he decided to address the press meet on the road at NTR Circle at Pipula Road area.
WATCH:
While he was going to the venue, along with the producer of the film Rakesh Reddy, the police detained them and forcibly took them to the Gannavaram Airport.
Sources said that the police is expected to send them back to Hyderabad in the evening. Mr.Varma and Rakesh Reddy were seen arguing with the police protecting against their detainment.
Mr Varma announced through twitter "Sorry to inform that the press meet at 4 pm is cancelled because the police stopped us and have barred my entry into Vijayawada and forcibly sending me back to Hyderabad. Where is democracy and why is truth being back stabbed".
WATCH TRAILER OF LAKSHMI'S NTR:
Sometime later, Mr.Varma tweeted "I am in police custody now for the only crime of trying to tell truth. There is no democracy in Andhra Pradesh. This is state of affairs in AP".
Meanwhile, the police clamped Section 144 of CrPC in the premises of Gannavaram Airport.
YSRCP leaders K Parthasaradhi and Mallahi Vishnu went to the Airport to meet Ram Gopal Varma but they were not permitted by the police.
RGV took to Twitter to give his statement:
The YSRCP leaders, talking to media, condemned the detainment of the Director and producer of Lakshmi's NTR Telugu film and asked what is wrong if they addressed a press conference.