Congress-bashing leads to clashes

The trigger for the protests was a fiery speech by Pavan Kalyan to party workers near Indira Park on Tuesday. In a personal attack, he charged chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, minister Md Shabbir Ali, and various Congress leaders with corruption and encroachment of government lands.
As a result, Wednesday saw the Youth Congress workers gather at Gandhi Bhavan from where they proceeded to the Prajarajyam office at Jubilee Hills to stage a protest.Midway, they burnt an effigy of Pavan Kalyan at Basheerbagh crossroads.
When the Congress workers reached the Prajarajyam office, Pavan came out to receive them in Gandhian style, but the move boomeranged. Prajarajyam workers also gathered in strength and the two groups began shouting slogans against each other.
With the atmosphere becoming surcharged, the slogan-shouting turned into jostling and pushing. Before it could worsen, police engaged in a mild lathicharge and disbanded the groups.
A novice to politics, Pavan had attacked every known Congress leader, including the chief minister by describing them as traitors, saying that they needed to be chased till their clothes fall off. Apart from Rajasekhara Reddy, he took the names of Union minister S Jaipal Reddy, state power minister Md Shabbir Ali, PCC president D Srinivas, CM's advisor and MP K V P Ramachandra Rao and charged them with "looting the state assets."
The Indira Park meeting, which addressed the Bhimrao Wada evacuees' problem, saw Pavan accusing Shabbir Ali of grabbing wakf land and D Srinivas of colluding with the chief minister for benefits. He said T Subbarami Reddy was cheating the people while chanting Siva prayers.
On Wednesday, Shabbir retorted with a strong remark that a man (Pavan) who had married a woman and was living with another woman could not talk of morals in public life. He said he would take legal action against the Yuvarajyam president for branding him as wakf land grabber. He demanded an apology from the PRP leader for having criticised a Muslim leader. PCC president D Srinivas strongly condemned the way the PRP youth wing chose to criticise Congress leaders.
Pavan, however, said he would stand by whatever he said against the Congress leaders. Talking to the media on Wednesday, he said he only echoed the sentiments of the people, nothing more. "I will stand by whatever I said of them," he said and dared them to take legal action.
Prajarajyam party president Chiranjeevi backed his brother by condemning the Youth Congress dharna as an act of intolerance. "They have every right to take objection to the criticism made by Pavan Kalyan. Instead of expressing their views democratically, the Congress chose to attack the PRP office. That is highly objectionable," he said.