Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan on Saturday visited Ippatam village of Tadepalli mandal where the state government had demolished compound walls of some houses to widen the road on Friday. Pawan Kalyan alleged that the government had resorted to this demolition only as part of the vendetta politics of the YSR Congress leadership.

He said that the villagers have given him their lands to hold the party’s formation day in March this year. Since then, the YSR Congress leadership started targeting the villagers and had served notice of demolition for widening of the road.

Jana Sena chief wondered whether Ippatam village is any city like Kakinada or Rajamahendravaram to widen the roads. He said that the demolition was only a political vendetta of the YSR Congress leaders. He also questioned the government for not demolishing Dr Y S Rajasekhar Reddy’s statue on the road.

Pawan Kalyan asked the ruling YSR Congress leaders to stop this political witch-hunt or else his government in future would lay a highway through Idupulapaya estate, which belongs to Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Pawan Kalyan interacted with the residents and extended his party’s support to them. He said he would stand by them in the hour of crisis and face any challenge from the government. He thanked the high court for giving a stay order on demolition and widening of the road.

Meanwhile, several political parties, including the opposition TDP extended support to Jana Sena in fighting for the Ippatam villagers. TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and general secretary Nara Lokesh blamed the government for demolishing the houses. Chandrababu Naidu sought to advise Jagan Mohan Reddy to construct anything before going for demolition-spree.

The TDP chief alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy had started his regime in 2019 by demolishing the Praja Vedika. The bulldozer government continues to pull down the houses even after three years, he said and asserted that time is fast approaching to pull down Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government.