Telugu Desam Party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday made it clear that there was no hurry in talking about alliance with other parties, but the immediate task was to put up a joint fight against the YSR Congress party government led by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Naidu, who came down to Novotel Hotel in Vijayawada to meet Pawan Kalyan and his party colleagues for over an hour, spoke to media later. He said it was a spontaneous decision to meet the actor.
However, sources said the meeting was planned on Sunday itself, as Naidu called up Pawan after the Visakhapatnam airport incident, where the police arrested over 70 Jana Sena Party workers for allegedly attacking the convoy of the YSRC ministers and leaders.
“I came to meet Pawan Kalyan to discuss the strategies to protect the opposition parties from the witch-hunt by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. We have to put up a joint fight to save people and democracy,” he said.
Naidu said the need of the hour was to bring all like-minded forces together. “Let us all come together first. We can talk about the alliances later,” he said.
Strongly condemning the arrest of Jana Sena Party workers in Visakhapatnam and the restriction of Pawan Kalyan to the hotel by the local police, Naidu said he could understand how much the actor was anguished over the attacks by the YSRC leaders and workers.
“The YSRC leaders are deriving sadistic pleasure by physically and mentally torturing the opposition leaders. They indulged in my character assassination earlier and today, it was the turn of Pawan Kalyan,” he said.
Naidu declared that, if necessary, he would have another round of meeting with Pawan Kalyan.
“It was atrocious that the police are imposing restrictions on the opposition leaders wherever they go. It is time we shall put up a joint fight against this government to save democracy,” he said.
Pawan thanked Naidu for coming to the hotel to express solidarity with him. He also expressed his gratitude towards the BJP leaders and even the Telangana Congress leaders for coming to his support.
