VISAKHAPATNAM: High drama unfolded at Visakhapatnam airport when YS Jagan Mohan Reddy arrived on Thursday afternoon to take part in candlelight rally to assert the demand for Special Category Status for Andhra Pradesh at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam.
As he disembarked from the Hyderabad-Visakhapatnam flight along with other YSRC leaders, the police stopped them in their tracks contending that he cannot take part in candlelight rally at Visakhapatnam Beach in support of students' protests.
Upset on being denied entry, Jagan Mohan Reddy sat down on the tarmac along with other YSRC leaders including V Vijaya Sai Reddy and Amabit Rambabu. For some time, all of them sat on the tarmac and raised slogans condemning the denial of entry into the city. Jagan Mohan Reddy questioned the policemen as to why they were not allowing his partymen into the city. "We came as normal passengers in a flight. Why are you stopping us? How do I know you are police officers in the first place? You do not even have even ID cards with you," he said.
Jagan Mohan Reddy and his entourage finally made it to the airport terminal where the police made it very clear that they would not allow him to step out of the airport. Even as Ambati Rambabu and Vijaya Sai Reddy kept arguing with the police, Jagan Mohan Reddy lost his cool and shouted at the policemen for their authoritarian attitude.
"What kind of policemen are you? You should realise that you are trying to stop the leader of the Opposition.” Pointing at the arrivals board on the wall, he said since they got down from the flight, they should be able to go at least near the arrival block.
Jagan threatened the officers that they were trying to stop someone “who could be the next chief minister of AP in another two years.” He also indicated he was aware of the cops’ names and “will take good care” of them when he becomes the chief minister.
When the last reports came in, Jagan Mohan Reddy was still under police detention.