Kalyan, who was trying to head to Vijayawada to express solidarity with arrested TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, subsequently cancelled his programme.
Published Sep 09, 2023 | 8:28 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 09, 2023 | 11:52 PM
Pawan Kalyan and his supporters after they were stopped bu Andhra Pradesh police. (Supplied)
On Saturday, 9 September, the Andhra Pradesh government threw not one, but two spanners in Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan’s plan to visit Vijayawada to express solidarity with arrested TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who was brought to the city by road from Nandyal after his pre-dawn arrest in connection with the ₹371 crore skill development scam.
The film actor-politician’s first attempt to fly in on a special flight was aborted when the Vijayawada International Airport was asked by Krishna district police to deny his aircraft permission to land.
A subsequent attempt to travel by road was thwarted when his convoy was stalled by local police as it was passing Chillakallu near Jaggayyapet in Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh.
Pawan Kalyan lying on the road in protest after he was prevented from heading to Vijayawada. (Supplied)
Pawan Klayan, who was livid with the police for stopping him, asked them whether he needed a passport and a visa to visit Andhra Pradesh, party leader Nadendla Manohar said, quoting the Jana Sena chief.
Intense jostling took place between the police and Jana Sena activists as Pawan Kalyan’s convoy tried to move forward. It was making very slow progress as the police made every attempt to stop the vehicle and pushed away party workers who tried to push them back to make way of the convoy.
Pawan Kalyan, who made slow progress, was again stopped at Anumanchipalli where he lost his cool and got out of his car. In an impulsive decision, he decided to walk to reach Mangalagiri, but the police stopped him again.
An angry Pawan Kalyan lay on the road as mark of protest.
Police finally arrested him at Anumanchipalli, a village in Jaggayyapeta Mandal of Krishna district, some 200 km from Hyderabad. He was taken away in a police vehicle.
Earlier in the day, the Jana Sena chief was all set to leave Hyderabad, but his flight did not receive airport clearance to take off on account of the Vijayawada International Airport having denied it permission to land there.
Letter written by SP of Krishna district to the director of Vijayawada Airport. (Supplied)
The permission was denied after the superintendent of police of Krishna district shot off a letter to the director of the Vijayawada Airport, stating that Kalyan’s unexpected arrival in Vijayawada, especially during the present volatile circumstances, might pose a problem to the maintenance of law and order.
In his letter, the SP of Krishna district said that since Pawan Kalyan was planning to arrive by flight VT-PSB after 4 pm, his presence in Vijayawada may exacerbate the situation following Naidu’s arrest. It is likely that his arrival would result in party cadres and fans crowding the airport in large numbers, leading to serious law and order concerns.
The SP said that the politician did not apply for prior permission to visit Vijayawada, along with his proposed programme, and, therefore, the police officer requested the director of the airport to deny permission for the landing of the flight.
He added that this move would avoid inconvenience to other passengers in the airport and prevent possible breakdown of law-and-order situation in the city.
Pawan Kalyan on his way to Vijayawada by road. (Screengrab)(Screengrab)
Pawan Kalyan, who went to the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad to leave for Vijayawada, subsequently cancelled his programme and returned home.
According to Jana Sena Party leader Nadendla Manohar, Kalyan was stopped at the airport following the SP’s letter.
Earlier in the day, Manohar condemned the arrest of TDP supremo Naidu and said that Pawan Kalyan had to face a similar experience in Visakhapatnam.
“Everyone in the state should condemn the lawlessness in Andhra Pradesh. The hallmark of (Chief Minister YS) Jagan Mohan Reddy’s rule is vindictive politics,” he rued.
Later in the evening, Pawan Kalyan’s political secretary P Hari Prasad said that the act of preventing the Jana Sena chief from flying from Hyderabad was highly objectionable.
The Andhra Pradesh government is creating lawlessness with its thoughtless actions, he said.
In a statement, Hari Prasad said that Pawan Kalyan wanted to reach Mangalagiri to take part in party workers’ meeting on Sunday.
The Andhra Pradesh government had no right to prevent him from flying to Vijayawada, he said, and described the incident as an insult to democracy.
