The three-day campaign launched by and power star Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan in the first week of September to expose the bad maintenance of roads has evoked tremendous response both in public and on the social media.
The social media campaign -- #JSPForAP_Roads – was big hit with lakhs of people from different parts of the state responding to the problem from September 2 to 4.
The viewers also posted pictures of bad condition of roads on the social media, following the call given by Pawan Kalyan.
The Jana Sena Party chief threatened to take up a road repair programme on October 2, coinciding with Gandhi Jayanti, if the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government did not respond positively to the campaign.
Apart from launching the social media campaign, Jana Sena party workers took up agitation on streets in protest against the indifferent attitude of the government in repairing roads. Pawan said roads of around 1.2 lakh kilometres were in a pathetic condition.
Jana Sena workers’ campaign is naturally leading to a conflict with YSR Congress party leaders.
At Amudalavala, the constituency of assembly speaker Tammineni Sitaram, the YSRC workers allegedly beat up a Jana Sena leader for staging unique protests at the potholes on the roads.
Pawan alleged that the ruling party leaders were targeting people who are raising the issue.
“This will not solve the problem, but would only complicate the matters. Instead of responding positively to the issue and get the roads repaired, it is unfortunate that the YSRC leaders are instigating attacks on the protestors,” he said.
He warned that it these attacks continue, then I will take to streets personally and fight for the improvement of road infrastructure.
He also found fault with the police for keeping silent when the YSRC leaders were assaulting the Jana Sena workers.
“Instead of taking action against the attackers, the police were booking cases against Jana Sena activists,” he lamented.
It is good that Pawan Kalyan has chosen to take up a public issue to get back into action.
He needs to sustain his aggressiveness by taking up such campaigns. But if he disappears in the name of shootings, he would not be taken seriously by the people and history would repeat itself.