Vijayawada: Director General of Police N. Sambasivarao said no permission was being granted for any type of congregation at Visakhapatnam. He said that people should not pay heed to calls to action made on social media, to gather at Visakhapatnam or anywhere else in the state.
According to the DGP, no one had claimed ownership of the congregation being planned, and it could go awry if thousands of people gathered. In the absence of ownership, anti-social elements are likely to creep in and create an issue, which could lead to violence, as was seen in Chennai; this is a risk that cannot be taken, he said.
Invoking the guidelines of the Supreme Court, the DGP said that anyone who wishes to organise a congregation must give the police an undertaking assuming responsibility for the event. As there is no organiser and no permission sought, the police is not going to allow a gathering at RK Beach in Visakhapatnam, or at MG Road in Vijayawada.
The DGP also said that the police is not against anyone expressing their opinion, but is only concerned with maintaining law and order. "If someone comes forward seeking permission, we may look into the merit of it," he said, adding that the law applies to Pawan Kalyan as well as all other parties in the state.
The DGP also said that Section 144 was being enforced at Kirlampudi, where the Kapu JAC does not have the permission to organise a padayatra. He said that leaders of the Kapu JAC, including Mudragada Padmanabam, would be placed under house arrest if the need arose.
