Yuvarajyam president Pavan Kalyan’s fiery speeches intended to inspire his fans ended up with angry Youth Congress workers storming the Jubilee Hills party office of Prajarajyam on Wednesday. The two clashing groups were finally dispersed by police after a mild lathicharge.
The trigger for the protests was a fiery speech by Pavan Kalyan to party workers near Indira Park on Tuesday. In a personal attack, he charged chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, minister Md Shabbir Ali, and various Congress leaders with corruption and encroachment of government lands.
As a result, Wednesday saw the Youth Congress workers gather at Gandhi Bhavan from where they proceeded to the Prajarajyam office at Jubilee Hills to stage a protest. Midway, they burnt an effigy of Pavan Kalyan at Basheerbagh crossroads.
When the Congress workers reached the Prajarajyam office, Pavan came out to receive them in Gandhian style, but the move boomeranged. Prajarajyam workers also gathered in strength and the two groups began shouting slogans against each other.
With the atmosphere becoming surcharged, the slogan-shouting turned into jostling and pushing. Before it could worsen, police engaged in a mild lathicharge and disbanded the groups.
A novice to politics, Pavan had attacked every known Congress leader, including the chief minister by describing them as traitors, saying that they needed to be chased till their clothes fall off. Apart from Rajasekhara Reddy, he took the names of Union minister S Jaipal Reddy, state power minister Md Shabbir Ali, PCC president D Srinivas, CM’s advisor and MP K V P Ramachandra Rao and charged them with “looting the state assets.”
The Indira Park meeting, which addressed the Bhimrao Wada evacuees’ problem, saw Pavan accusing Shabbir Ali of grabbing wakf land and D Srinivas of colluding with the chief minister for benefits. He said T Subbarami Reddy was cheating the people while chanting Siva prayers.
On Wednesday, Shabbir retorted with a strong remark that a man (Pavan) who had married a woman and was living with another woman could not talk of morals in public life. He said he would take legal action against the Yuvarajyam president for branding him as wakf land grabber. He demanded an apology from the PRP leader for having criticised a Muslim leader. PCC president D Srinivas strongly condemned the way the PRP youth wing chose to criticise Congress leaders.
Pavan, however, said he would stand by whatever he said against the Congress leaders. Talking to the media on Wednesday, he said he only echoed the sentiments of the people, nothing more. “I will stand by whatever I said of them,” he said and dared them to take legal action.
Prajarajyam party president Chiranjeevi backed his brother by condemning the Youth Congress dharna as an act of intolerance. “They have every right to take objection to the criticism made by Pavan Kalyan. Instead of expressing their views democratically, the Congress chose to attack the PRP office. That is highly objectionable,” he said.
Police used mild force to avert a clash between Praja Rajyam and a group of Youth Congress activists on Wednesday in front of the PR office. The Youth Congress members led by their president T.J.R. Sudhakar Babu came to the office with flowers in Gandhigiri-style to protest the remarks made by Yuva Rajyam president Pawan Kalyan against Congress leaders.
Mr. Kalyan, while addressing the participants in a dharna against corruption on Tuesday, had hit out at senior Congress leaders, including Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy. He alleged that most of the ruling party leaders had criminal record and described one of them as “traitor”.
As agitated Congress workers were close to the PR office, police stopped them. Raising slogans, they staged a sit-in. Many PR activists cordoned off the entrance with a rope and raised counter-slogans.
As the shouting continued, a PR functionary received the flowers presented by the Congress activists. However, the situation threatened to turn ugly when PR activists surged forward, jostled and pushed, forcing police to use mild force.
Meanwhile, stung by Mr. Kalyan’s “sweeping remarks”, Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee president D. Nagender led a demonstration at APUWJ office at Basheerbagh, where the agitated cadre slammed the actor’s effigy with footwear and burnt it.
Incensed by the verbal attack, Energy Minister Mohd. Shabbir Ali said he would file a defamation suit against Mr. Kalyan.
Apology sought
He sought an unconditional apology. The Minister said he was ready to face any punishment if it was proved that he had sold or leased out Wakf property. Party leaders, including APCC president D. Srinivas, described the actor’s comments as ‘immature’.
Mr. Sudhakar Babu charged Mr. Kalyan with trying to provoke the youth. APCC spokesperson N. Tulasi Reddy questioned the PR leader’s commitment to the youth’s welfare as the Common Man’s Protection Force floated by him, had become defunct.
Action condemned
Standing by his statement, Mr. Kalyan said Congressmen were agitated because his remarks were not “false”.
Senior PR leader T. Seetharam accused Congress activists of trying to attack the party office and condemned their action. In a democracy, everybody had a right to express their opinion and if they were hurt they should protest in a democratic manner, he added.
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