Jagan protests at Vizag airport after being denied entry into city

Visakhapatnam, January 26

High drama was witnessed at the airport here after police allegedly tried to prevent YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition Y S Jaganmohan Reddy from entering the city for a candle light protest scheduled later Thursday evening.

Jagan, along with his party MPs Y Vijaysai Reddy, Y V Subba Reddy and senior leader Ambati Rambabu, staged a sit-in on the apron at the Vizag airport in protest against the police plan.

Jagan and the YSRC leaders arrived here by a scheduled flight in the evening to take part in the candlelight protest on the Vizag beach demanding grant of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

Earlier in the day, Vizag Police Commissioner T Yoganand announced that anyone who tried to stage a protest in the city in violation of the prohibitory orders, would be arrested.

"We will arrest Jagan or anyone," he asserted.

Prohibitory orders were clamped in a 1-km vicinity of the airport, 15-km away from the city, which prevented YSRC rank and file from reaching there to receive Jagan.

A large contingent of police and armed personnel was posted at the airport and plans were made to allegedly detain Jagan as and when he arrived.

But the YSRC top leaders staged a sit-in on the apron soon after disembarking the plane.

After some argument, police removed the YSRC leaders from the apron and brought them out. — PTI