Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan has issued a stern warning to the ruling YSRCP leaders and functionaries against targeting his party activists.
“I will not keep quiet if the YSRCP leaders resort to attacks,” Mr. Pawan Kalyan said during his visit to Poyya village of Thottambedu mandal in Srikalahasti constituency on Friday.
The JSP chief visited the village as part of his whirlwind tour of the flood-ravaged Chittoor and Nellore districts.
What provoked Mr. Pawan Kalyan was a protest staged by the YSRCP cadres, who reportedly blocked the road in a bid to prevent his entry into the village to interact with the villagers.
As the situation appeared to go out of hand, the police intervened and asked the JSP team to hold the interaction outside the village.
Visibly perturbed over the incident, Mr. Pawan Kalyan said the party cadres would maintain restraint with due respect towards democracy.
“I am here to instil confidence in the farmers and extend support to those who have lost everything under the impact of Cyclone Nivar. But I am not the kind of person to fear if they resort to attacks. We will revolt and show what we are,” he said, and added that his party’s aim was to ensure a decent price to the farm produce and make agriculture profitable to the peasants.
Though the tour started amid incessant rain right from Tirupati, the JSP president was extended a rousing reception at Renigunta, Yerpedu and Srikalahasti.
Party workers followed his vehicle in sizeable numbers. Leaders belonging to the BJP, the JSP’s alliance partner, also joined to welcome Mr. Pawan Kalyan.
As several villagers with umbrellas stood unfazed despite heavy downpour at Thottambedu, Mr. Pawan Kalyan addressed them from atop his vehicle.
Will stand by ally: BJP
Meanwhile, BJP State media representative Kola Anand Kumar, who hails from Srikalahasti, said the BJP-JSP activists would not be cowed by the “antics” of the ruling party workers.
“Anyone can visit any place in this democratic country. YSRCP leaders cannot stop Mr. Pawan Kalyan from visiting a village to console the farmers shattered by the floods,” Mr. Anand said. Flaying the ruling party for unleashing a reign of terror in the village, Mr. Anand said that the BJP would stand by its ally.