A case of rash driving was registered against Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan for a dangerous car stunt, where the actor was seen sitting on the roof of a car during his visit to Ippatam village in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh. The video of this incident had gone viral. Pawan Kalyan has been booked by the Tadepalli police under section 336 (endangering life or personal safety of others) and 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way) of the Indian Penal Code.
The First Information Report was registered on Friday, following a complaint by P Siva, a motorist who apparently fell down from his bike because of the negligent driving of Pawan Kalyan’s convoy of vehicles. According to the complainant, during the rally of the Jana Sena Party, the convoy of vehicles accompanying Pawan Kalyan was driving negligently and at high speed and he met with an accident as a result. The complainant said that the car on which Pawan Kalyan was sitting was driving rashly with many persons dangerously hanging on it. Pawan Kalyan’s stunt was slammed by many who questioned if it was a responsible act by him as a political leader to throw safety to the wind and promote dangerous driving.
On November 5, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan visited Ippatam village in Guntur, where a demolition drive was underway. While authorities said that the demolitions were carried out to widen the road, the Jana Sena Party alleged that the government under the garb of road widening had targeted its supporters and were specifically demolishing their houses. According to JSP, the village was targeted by the Jagan government after the village had hosted their party meeting in March. The authorities however maintained that the demolitions had been carried out after following due process. They also denied allegations of political conspiracy.
Pawan’s visit to the village, to express solidarity with the victims, had sparked mild tension in the region after the police attempted to thwart the actor from meeting the victims of house demolition. However, defying police orders, the actor reached the village on foot. Pawan Kalyan lashed out at the government and alleged that the demolition was purely an act of political vendetta. Speaking at the village, he said, “Continue doing this and some day we will build a highway in Idupulapaya,” referring to the native village of Andhra Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.