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AP police restrict Pawan Kalyan to Vizag hotel for 2 days; Party workers protest
The Andhra Pradesh police have restricted Pawan Kalyan to the Novotel Hotel in Visakhapatnam since Saturday evening as his supporters allegedly attacked ministers, civilians and police officials at the local airport
A tense situation continued to prevail in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam city on Monday with the police confining popular Tollywood actor and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan to the Novotel Hotel since Saturday evening as his supporters allegedly attacked ministers, civilians and police officials at the local airport.
A high drama prevailed outside the five-star hotel in front of the Rama Krishna beach, where hundreds of party workers gathered and raised slogans in support of Pawan Kalyan. The police have refused to allow either the actor to come out or the party leaders to get into the hotel.
The police barricaded all the entry points into the hotel to prevent outsiders from entering the premises, except for the hotel inmates and media persons with valid passes.
On Sunday, the police issued notices to Pawan Kalyan barring him from addressing any meetings or taking out rallies in Visakhapatnam as per Section 30 of the Police Act which will be in force in the city till October 31.
His party posted a video of the actor waving at the crowds from the hotel room, as the police confined him to the hotel. “Hope, AP police won’t tell me not to greet from my room’s window,” Pawan Kalyan tweeted.
In another tweet, he said: “Our beloved AP police under the eminent leadership of CM Sri Thanos barred me not to hold Jana Sena programs, no rallies, no meetings. Left me with this option only... from my room window.”
“A thought just crossed my mind... am I allowed to go for an evening walk on RK beach to take some fresh air,” he said in another tweet.
Meanwhile, a local court in Visakhapatnam late on Sunday night granted bail to 62 out of 71 Jana Sena Party workers, who were arrested in connection with pelting of stones at the convoy of YSR Congress party ministers Jogi Ramesh and R K Roja, apart from a few other senior party leaders on Saturday.
The YSRCP leaders were returning to the airport after addressing a Visakha Garjana (Roar of Vizag) rally at the port city in support of the three capitals for the state, when they were confronted by the Jana Sena Party workers.
The YSRCP leaders complained to the police that the Jana Sena Party workers heckled them and attacked them with stones, causing injuries to an assistant of minister Roja.
The police picked up more than 90 persons in connection with the incident and booked cases against 71 of them on the charges of attempt to murder under Section 307 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). However, they made changes in the FIR and changed the section to mere assault.
As a result, the court granted bail to 62 of them and sent the remaining nine to 14-days judicial custody. Those who were granted bail were released on Monday on a personal surety of ₹10,000 each.
Jana Sena Party general secretary Shiv Shankar said he had also been booked in the case, though he was nowhere in the picture. “I was in the airport lounge when the alleged attack on the YSRCP leaders took place. How can the police file case against me?” Shankar asked.
