Vizag airport witnesses AP's political heat again

Following intervention by the battery of lawyers engaged by Jana Sena, a local court altered Section 307 (attempt to murder) to Section 226 (attempt to cause grievous injury) against Jana Sena leaders and activists

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam International Airport hit the headlines for different reasons four years after the 'kodikatti' (rooster knife) attack on then Leader of Opposition Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, this time following the allegations over stone-pelting on YSRCP leaders including ministers by the Jana Sena leaders and activists hours after the conclusion of 'Visakha Garjana' organised by the North Andhra JAC during the weekend.

The latest incident has sparked off yet another political storm with the ruling and Opposition parties trading charges against each other. The police cases filed against Jana Sena leaders and activists and denial of permission to hold a three-day Kalavani-a roadshow to know the pulse of the people in North Andhra forced Pawan Kalyan to cancel his trip after getting confined to this beachside five star hotel room and leave for Vijayawada.

Following intervention by the battery of lawyers engaged by Jana Sena, a local court altered Section 307 (attempt to murder) to Section 226 (attempt to cause grievous injury) against Jana Sena leaders and activists. Based on complaints received by YSRCP leaders, the police registered cases under Section 307 against 92 persons. The number was reduced by the court to nine after altering the sections.

"This is a fascist rule where I was denied permission to meet the people and myself confined to the hotel. Police knocked at my door on the intervening night of October 15 and 16 and asked me to hand over my car keys, which I declined," he told the media.

After Sunday's midnight drama, TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu called up Pawan Kalyan and enquired about the incident and described it as political vendetta. Left parties and BJP also strongly condemned the incident while TDP leader and former Minister described the "claims of attack on Ministers and their supporters at the airport by the Jana Sainiks as a self-goal by YSRCP to divert attention following failure of Visakha Garjana."

The garjana was organised by the North Andhra JAC, supposed to be apolitical but Opposition parties say almost all the speakers at the meeting were from YSRCP and people were mobilised by misusing power by the ruling party. The garjana was a showdown in support of making Visakhapatnam the executive capital and to register a protest against maha padayatra taken up by the Amaravati Farmers' JAC to continue as a single capital in the State.

The kodikatti attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy provided political ammunition which partly helped YSRCP to secure a spectacular majority in the Assembly elections a year later. "Now the vindictive actions by this government will help us to dislodge YSRCP from power in the ensuing elections in 2024," a Jana Sena leader said.

Commenting on the charges made by Pawan Kalyan, IT and Industries minister said the actor has no credibility and was trying to gain cheap mileage after his partymen tried to attack YSRCP leaders at the airport out of sheer frustration.