World-class Amaravati possible only if caste is cast aside: Pawan Kalyan

VIJAYAWADA: At a time when there is a row over providing Backward Classes (BC) reservation to Kapus, Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief and film hero Pawan Kalyan underscored the need for unity among all castes for the development of the State.“We should raise above caste for the development of State. Justice should be done to all irrespective of caste and creed. We should put an end to the conflicts centred around castes and religions,’’ said Pawan in Vijayawada which is well known for caste-related controversies.

Addressing the party functionaries from Krishna and Guntur districts here on Friday, Pawan Kalyan said that caste should not be a barrier for development. Observing lack of unity among people in Vijayawada who are divided along caste lines, he said “We all are aspiring to develop Amaravati as a world-class capital city.

It will not get realised unless we give up caste feelings.”The JSP chief said Vijayawada politics is nothing without the name of Vangaveeti Mohan Ranga. 

He opined that rivals should have taken legal course instead of acting on their revenge against  Ranga and taking the path of violence. On Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s claims of developing Hyderabad, he said that it was possible as that city has a cosmopolitan culture and a casteless atmosphere does not pervade in the city unlike Amaravati. 

Taking the opportunity to clarify the rumours that he was forcefully tonsured by Paritala Ravi and his men on his way back, Pawan Kalyan said it was TDP’s propaganda against him. 

He further added that despite knowing that the TDP leaders were behind the propaganda, he supported them after state bifurcation as the State was in dire need of an experienced leader at the helm.“When I was busy shooting for Tammudu, I got a phone call from my brother Nagababu. After enquiring my whereabouts, my brother brought to my notice that some of the TDP leaders are spreading rumours that Paritala Ravindra tonsured my head. Had this been the case, would I have kept quite? Infact, out of frustration, I myself got my head tonsured during the shooting of the film.

I am not aware about Paritala Ravi. TDP leaders circulated the rumours which later got published in some newspapers. Though the same TDP leaders are wandering around me, I never took them to my heart and extended support to TDP notwithstanding the humiliation caused by the leaders of that party,’’ he said.

Defending his act of supporting TDP, Pawan Kalyan said since there are several allegations and cases against YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, he opted to support TDP as he did not wish to send wrong signals to people by supporting a person who has several charges of corruption booked against him.

Visit to party office site
Pawan Kalyan claimed that no money was paid for purchasing the land for constructing his party office at Chinakakani village, Mangalagiri mandal in Guntur district. He thanked Yarlagadda family members Sambasiva Rao, Siva Lakshmi, and Ankineedu Prasad who leased out 3.42 acre land for three years for the office.

The young politician said the party office would be a temple which would resolve problems of the people who knock on its door for help. He added earlier, he wanted to establish the party office at Anantapuram, but later decided to shift the location to Amaravati. Farmers came forward and offered their land for the office. He said he wanted to see a casteless new capital city of Amaravati. “As the land has been offered by Communist Party leader Y Subba Rao’s family, I would like to follow his footsteps,” said Kalyan