Vizag Police Revises YS Jagan’s Roadshow Route Map: TDP Govt On Edge Over VSP Issue?

A day after Anakapalle police denied permission for YSRCP President and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to conduct a roadshow, Visakhapatnam police have issued a new route map for the rally.

On Tuesday (October 7), Anakapalle district SP Tuhin Sinha refused permission for YS Jagan’s roadshow during his visit to Narsipatnam Medical College. Citing the recent stampede in Tamil Nadu’s Karur, which claimed over 40 lives during TVK President Vijay’s rally, the SP stated that providing security to the former Chief Minister—who holds Z+ category protection—along a 63 km route would be a challenging task.

YSRCP leaders condemned the police decision, alleging that the TDP government was deliberately creating hurdles for YS Jagan’s tour and preventing him from meeting the public.

Subsequently, YSRCP leader and former minister Gudivada Amarnath said the party would hold discussions with the police to secure permission for the roadshow. Later on Tuesday, Visakhapatnam police issued a revised route map.

Earlier, the YSRCP had sought security cover from Visakhapatnam airport to Narsipatnam Medical College, covering Gajuwaka, Aganampudi, Lankelapalem, and Anakapalle.

However, Vizag police granted permission only for the roadshow from the airport to Pendurthi via NAD, Gopalapatnam, and Sujata Nagar. There is still no clarity on security arrangements from Pendurthi to Narsipatnam Medical College.

YSRCP leaders, including Gudivada Amarnath, alleged that, as per their original route, employees of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant would have had the chance to submit a memorandum to the former Chief Minister opposing the privatization of the PSU (Public Sector Undertaking).

They claimed that anticipating the issue would gain momentum if the employees met YS Jagan, the TDP government—led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu—pressured the police to reject the proposed route. As a result, the route map submitted by the YSRCP was not approved.

YSRCP leaders condemned the police action and questioned why authorities were panicking over Jagan’s tour. They maintained that the YSRCP chief’s roadshow was not political but aimed at informing people about the potential harm from the privatization of medical colleges in the State.

Acknowledging the Anakapalle SP’s statement that over 65,000 people were expected to attend Jagan’s roadshow, YSRCP leaders said it was the police’s duty to provide security for such a high-profile visit.

The party also criticized the police for citing the Karur stampede, pointing out that in the past, several people had died during Chandrababu Naidu’s public meetings in Prakasam and Guntur and during the 2015 Godavari Pushkaram. They added that under the YSRCP regime, the TDP had never been denied permission for public gatherings, alleging that the current government was creating hurdles for YS Jagan’s programs to suppress dissent.