VISAKHAPATNAM: City Police on Sunday served a notice on Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan, directing him to not conduct the proposed Jana Vani programme or any other public meetings. Police warned him of legal action, if he violated the orders.
The development comes a day after a group of people, suspected to be JSP followers, attacked vehicles in the convoy of ministers RK Roja, Jogi Ramesh and YSRC regional coordinator YV Subba Reddy at Vizag airport, minutes ahead of the Pawan Kalyan’s arrival.
Late Saturday night, police detained key JSP leaders and deployed heavy police bandobast near the hotel where Pawan Kalyan was staying.Following this, Pawan Kalyan cancelled his Jana Vani programme and asserted that he would stay in the Port City until his party leaders are released.
Section 30 of Police Act was invoked, prohibiting Pawan from conducting meetings, processions and rallies. “In spite of promulgated orders, you being the leader of Jana Sena Party led a group of over 500 people and conducted a rally from the airport to Novotel Hotel at Beach Road via NAD Junction, in clear violation of the promulgated orders. That the mob of JSP followers under your leadership attacked ministers, civilians and police officers,” the notice read and added,
“It caused disturbance to public order. Grave offences were committed where public representatives, some civilians and police officers sustained grievous injuries.” Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan held a special meeting with a few party leaders in his hotel room on Sunday night. He reviewed the situation following the arrest of his party members and said support should be extended to their families. The JSP chief asserted that the party will provide legal assistance to those facing cases.
While police said they have arrested around 28 leaders, JSP claimed that 100 people were held.
Kona Tata Rao, Peetala Murthy Yadav, Viswaksen, Sundarapu Vijayakumar, Panchakarla Vijaya Kumar, Siva Prasad Reddy, PVSN Raju, Srinivas Patnaik, Palavalasa Yasaswini, Gedela Chaitanya and P Praju were among those arrested on Saturday night.
Police slapped cases against the 28 and others under IPC Sections 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting), 149 (unlawful assembly), 341 (Punishment for wrongful restraint), 307 (attempt murder), 324 (voluntarily cause hurt), 325 (punishment for causing hurt), 427 (mischief causing damage), and 188 (disobedience).
Meanwhile, whereabouts of six JSP leaders, including state general secretaries Tammireddy Shiva Sankar and Bolisetti Satyanarayana, are not known, police said and added that over 80 people were taken into custody on Saturday night and later released. Those arrested will be sent for remand after producing them before the magistrate. Following the notice, the actor-politician remained in his hotel room throughout the day.
Speaking to reporters, Pawan described the notice as a award for fighting for the cause of the people. “The incident happened even before I had arrived at Visakhapatnam airport,” he pointed out and said he was not afraid of cases and was ready to go to jail.
Stating that Amaravati or the three-capitals issue was not on his agenda, Pawan accused the government of targeting his Jana Vani programme instead of arresting ganja smugglers and other anti-socials. He denounced police action and blamed them for the failure to prevent Saturday’s incidents.
The TDP, BJP and CPM condemned police action and the arrest of JSP leaders. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu said searching rooms of the hotel, without warrant, where Pawan stayed a criminal act. “I strongly condemn the anti-democratic actions of the government. Police should revoke cases filed against Jana Sena leaders and workers, and also lift restrictions on Pawan Kalyan’s visit in Vizag,” Naidu asserted. He also had a telephonic conversation with the JSP chief.
BJP State president Somu Veeraju reportedly informed Pawan over the phone that he would visit Vizag and extend support to JSP. Condemning police action, Somu said Pawan’s programme to visit the Steel City was confirmed 10 days before the Visakha Garjana was announced.BJP MLC PVN Madhav called on Pawan Kalyan personally at the hotel and condemned the police action.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed at the Port Stadium, where Pawan was scheduled to hold Jana Vani, as YSRC leaders staged a dharna for over one hour. They raising ‘Go back Pawan’ slogans. Though the police requested them to call off their dharna, they did not relent. Additional forces were deployed to clear the agitating YSRC workers from the stadium gate to avert any untoward incidents.