The Visakhapatnam police detained Jana Sena Party (JSP) Public Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Nadendla Manohar on Monday, December 11. He was in the city to attend a protest by party members against the government for the closure of the Tycoon Hotel intersection road. According to party activists, the stretch from Tycoon Junction to VIP Road has been blocked for over two months due to the construction of a building. The construction was taken up by the ruling YSR Congress party (YSRCP) MP MVV Satyanarayana, and has led to commuting issues on the road. 

The police stopped Nadendla Manohar, who was staying at the Novotel on Beach Road, from attending the protest on December 11. Party members, the police say, were informed that they were not permitted to protest at the construction site. However, Nadendla Manohar reportedly insisted on holding the demonstration on the nearby pavement and claimed that the police were trying to prevent them from expressing their political views.

“Even though the Janasena party members in the city protested four times on this issue, there was no response from the authorities. Every time we come to Visakhapatnam we are being detained,” Nadendla Manohar said. 

Murthyadav, a corporator from Jana Sena, was also reportedly detained by the police on Monday, while he was on his way to the municipal corporation meeting. Murthy had previously claimed that it was unjust to close the Tycoon Hotel intersection road for Satyanarayana’s building, causing the general public to suffer, and forcing commuters to make an extra 2-kilometre diversion.

Satyanarayana is a realtor and the owner of MVV Constructions in Visakhapatnam. He is also a film producer who owns MVV Cinema Film Productions. He joined the YSRCP in 2019 and was elected as a Visakhapatnam Lok Sabha Member.