Andhra Deputy CM's convoy allegedly delays JEE aspirants; Pawan Kalyan orders probe

Pawan Kalyan, the Deputy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, has ordered an investigation into claims that some students in the Pendurthi district missed their JEE exam due to arriving late at the centers, allegedly because of traffic restrictions imposed by his official convoy.

The Deputy Chief Minister has directed the Visakhapatnam police to gather information on the incident, according to a statement from Pawan Kalyan's office.

The statement inquired, “How long was the traffic stopped for the convoy? What was the traffic situation on the routes students had to take to reach the exam center at that time? Was any traffic control implemented on the service roads?”

The Jana Sena chief emphasized that he does not want people to face any difficulties during his visits, according to his office.

The police have been instructed to temporarily halt traffic only during official visits.

The statement also clarified that no measures, such as halting traffic or cutting down trees, are taken when traveling by helicopter.

Additionally, party officials and employees have already been given clear instructions from the central office to avoid activities such as crane garlands or other actions that may disrupt traffic.

The statement noted that these guidelines are explained and strictly followed during each visit.

According to the parent of one of the affected students, approximately 30 students were impacted on April 7 and were denied the opportunity to take the exam despite repeated requests.

Another parent Anil Kumar, mentioned that his daughter, who also missed the exam, could have saved the day—and potentially an entire academic year—if the testing center had granted her a five-minute exception.

In a statement released on April 7, Visakhapatnam police denied any involvement in the incident related to Pawan Kalyan's official convoy.

“It is clear that the Deputy Chief Minister’s movement through the area at 8:41 am had no connection to the late arrival of students, who were expected to report by 7 am and certainly before 8:30 am,” the police said.