BJP and Jena Sena to step up protests against anti-people policies of YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh

Cases registered against JSP cadres in Vizag unconstitutional, says Somu Veerraju

BJP State president Somu Veerraju and Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan met here on Monday, and discussed the political fallout of the arrest of scores of JSP cadres in Visakhapatnam on Sunday and the strictures passed against the JSP chief’s Jana Vani programme, which had to be postponed due to the tension that prevailed.

Addressing the media later, Mr. Veerraju said his party’s Central leadership took a serious view of the police crackdown on the JSP chief’s programme and the booking of attempt-to-murder cases on the JSP cadres.

He expressed regret that “the police overacted” when Mr. Kalyan was on a visit to Visakhapatnam as part of his regular activities, and said the cases registered by them (police) were unconstitutional.

Mr. Veerraju said the AP BJP was asked to confront the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government’s “misdeeds.” Accordingly, the BJP would stage protests against the YSRCP’s anti-people policies and the “autocratic manner” in which it sought to implement its agenda.

In this regard, the AP BJP was in constant touch with its leaders in the national capital, and the two parties would intensify their stir in the coming days, Mr. Veerraju added.

Asked how he viewed the YSRCP leaders’ allegation that his programmes were TDP-sponsored, Mr. Kalyan said he would not comment on such “stupid remarks.”

Earlier in the day, he denounced the vindictive attitude of the YSRCP leaders in a press conference while refusing to yield to any pressure to alter his stand on issues concerning the people.