VISAKHAPATNAM: After four hours of intense drama over denial of permission for Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan’s meeting at Kurmannapalem Junction, the police gave nod to the Sunday event. Jana Sena leader Bolisetti Satyanarayana said the police gave permission for the Sunday meeting after pressure mounted on them by the Jana Sena activists. Earlier, tension prevailed at Kurmannapalem when Jana Sena activists led by party general secretaries T Siva Sankar Rao and PAC member Kona Tata Rao staged a protest over the denial of permission for the meeting.
Jana Sena and Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee have been making elaborate arrangements for Pawan Kalyan’s meeting on the road leading to the steel plant main gate. However, the police urged the Jana Sena to shift the public meeting venue to a ground, which is five km away from the relay fast camp.
Siva Sankar Rao said the meeting to be addressed by Pawan Kalyan is not a political one. “The meeting was organised at the request of the porata committee to fight against the privatisation of the steel plant,” he said and wondered how the police could deny permission and asked them to specify who was behind their action. With the police permission for the public meeting, they are busy making arrangements to make the event a huge success.
Speaking to media persons in the morning, Satyanarayana said that at the round table organised by the Jana Sena, all unions of VSP and Visakha Ukku Factory Nirvasitula Sangam have opined that a visit of Pawan Kalyan, whose party is in alliance with the BJP, would give a boost to the agitation, which is going on for over 250 days. Subsequently, Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Samiti and Nirvasitula Sangam have sent letters requesting Pawan Kalyan to plan an early visit to stall the privatisation of the plant.
Pawan has already submitted a letter requesting the Union government to rethink the issue of privatisation of VSP as it is linked with the sentiments of the people of both the States and sacrifice of 32 people in the agitation demanding establishment of the plant. Pawan Kalyan will reach the airport on Sunday afternoon and directly go to the agitation camps. He said that they are training 500 volunteers to support the local police in crowd control. “The then State government had acquired 26,000 acres of land for setting up the steel plant. So, legally, the Centre cannot privatise the plant and alienate the land acquired for public purpose as per section 3 of the Land Acquisition Act,” Siva Sankar Rao claimed.
Medha Patkar to address a rally against privatisation
The agitation being spearheaded by the Visakha Ukku Parirakshana Porata Committee is likely to reach its peak in the next three days. Noted social activist Medha Patkar will address a rally against privatisation of the steel plant on Saturday. Pawan Kalyan will address a public meeting at Kurmannapalem on Sunday. A rally with students and youth will be taken out from AVN College to beach road on November 1 to mark the anniversary of firing during Visakha Ukku Andhrula Hakku agitation in which nine people were killed in Vizag.