Police foil Jana Sena Party’s ‘Maha Dharna’ in Visakhapatnam, detain Nadendla and other leaders

JSP leaders detained by Visakhapatnam police while attempting to stage 'Maha Dharna' to demand resumption of traffic signal. JSP president K Pawan Kalyan condemned the detainment. Leaders released after being shifted to Kalyanamandapam. Protest to question govt. atrocities not allowed.

Tension prevailed as a large number of Jana Sena Party (JSP) leaders, including its Political Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Nadendla Manohar, were detained by the city police, foiling the ‘Maha Dharna’ which was planned by the JSP at the Tycoon Hotel Junction demanding resumption of the traffic signal, here on Monday.

A large number of police were mobilised at the Hotel Novotel, where Mr. Manohar is staying during his North Andhra tour. When he was about to start for Maha Dharna at Tycoon Hotel Junction, he was stopped and then detained. Former MLA Panchakarla Ramesh Babu, PAC members Kona Tata Rao, T. Siva Shankar and many other JSP leaders from Visakhapatnam and rural areas accompanied him.

Condemning the police action, Mr. Manohar staged a sit-in on the road and then raised slogans against the government. Speaking to the media, he said that it was very unfortunate that the government was not allowing Opposition party leaders to stage protests and question them over its atrocities. He alleged that the authorities have closed a traffic signal and were forcing motorists to travel an additional 2 km distance at Tycoon Hotel Junction due to ‘Vaastu’ problem to a YSRCP MP’s construction project. He reminded that the JSP has organised protests four times on the issue, but the officials have not responded.

JSP president K Pawan Kalyan also released a statement condemning the detainment of JSP leaders in Visakhapatnam.

The JSP leaders were shifted to a Kalyanamandapam near Police Barracks area, and were released after sometime.

Earlier, some of the JSP leaders attempted to stage a protest at the Tycoon Hotel Junction. Police personnel, who were already mobilised at the spot, detained them. Corporators P.L.V.N. Murthy, D Govinda Rao and a few others detained even before they reached the spot. Later, they were allowed to attend the council meeting.