The Telangana government refused permission for the Jana Sena Party meeting to be held on Tuesday, citing pressure campaigns and ongoing cases against Prof. Nageshwar, which are likely to trigger protests. In response, JSP chief and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan insisted the party would remain active in Telangana and contest the upcoming elections.
The police reply dated June 1 read that, “The recent alleged remarks by Prof. K. Nageshwar on the meeting of Hon’ble Dy. CM of AP with Hon’ble Union Home Minister and the subsequent registration of criminal cases against Prof. K. Nageshwar in Andhra Pradesh led to escalating tensions and animosities across Telangana. Furthermore, recent public utterances made by certain political leaders from Andhra Pradesh, including Jana Sena, with respect to the matter involving Prof. K. Nageshwar, have deeply hurt the sentiments of the people of Telangana, triggering widespread backlash, counter-protests, and strong opposition from various student bodies and activist groups in the state.” The police also mentioned a logistical reason, stating that the proposed convention hall doesn’t have parking capacity for 2,000 people.
For those uninitiated, the Jana Sena Party filed three cases against Nageshwar after he stated that JSP chief Pawan Kalyan unsuccessfully tried to lobby with Home Minister Amit Shah to have YSR Congress Party chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy arrested. Though Nageshwar withdrew his comments and JSP welcomed the move, the dispute did not die down as the cases were not withdrawn, and social media attacks continued. Upset, Nageshwar participated in a roundtable meeting held by Telangana journalists and intellectuals on May 26 at Hyderabad Press Club in Somajiguda. The forum criticised the JSP and Telugu Desam Party for their alleged attempts to muzzle the free press.
To counter the narrative, JSP held a press conference targeting the journalists and activists who participated in the May 26 roundtable meeting. Sampath Kumar Naik, a little-known JSP leader from Hyderabad, used abusive language targeting Nageshwar and Pasam Yadagiri, a prominent journalist from Telangana. His unacceptable attack created an immediate backlash from the journalists attending the press meet, and the JSP leaders had to vacate the venue. These developments have created unease among the media, political parties and government. While the BJP, except for a few leaders like P. Muralidhar Rao, was silent, Bharat Rashtra Samiti actively targeted the ruling Congress for its alleged silence.
Responding to the criticism, the Congress government cited the pressure campaign against Prof. Nageshwar as the reason to decline permission for the JSP meeting. Challenging the rejection, the JSP moved a lunch-motion petition seeking permission for the meeting. However, the Telangana High Court registry refused to entertain the petition, stating that there was no ground for its urgent admission.
Meanwhile, around 10 am on June 2, Pawan Kalyan tweeted, questioning whether the government would at least give permission for his press meet at his residence.
He held a press conference in the evening and declared that he wouldn’t be intimidated by any pressure or threats. “We will go to every nook and corner of the state and question every problem and demand justice for everyone. So far, I have not, but now I have decided that we will contest the next elections,” he stated.
These unsavoury developments boil down to one question — the freedom of the press. If governments could file cases against journalists and demand the names of their sources, press and personal freedoms would eventually erode. The Congress made its position clear: it did not approve of the pressure campaign on Nageshwar. It is time for JSP and TDP to find a dignified resolution to this issue for practical reasons. Going after a prominent journalist like Prof. Nageshwar would never yield the desired results. Such efforts would only strengthen demands for free speech.
Speaking to THE WEEK, Prof. Nageshwar said he would not back down in this matter, and that this fight was not about him but about every journalist and thinking citizen.
