Pawan Kalyan's convoy allegedly cost over 25 students their exam attempt, parents blame; police clarifies

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan's convoy not only disrupted the traffic but also damaged the careers of over 25 students. On Monday, traffic restrictions were allegedly imposed to ensure the smooth passage of an actor-turned-politician’s convoy, which caused over 25 candidates to miss a vital competitive examination in Visakhapatnam due to late arrival. The examination was set to commence at 8.30 am at the ION Digital Zone building in Chinnamusidivada, Pendurthi.B Kalavathi, whose child was to take the Joint Entrance Examination (Main) 2025 for admission to National Institutes of Technology (NITs), stated that her son's delay was caused by traffic restrictions implemented for Kalyan's convoy."We were stuck in traffic. It was halted because Kalyan was on his way to Araku," Kalavathi told PTI, adding that the roads were cleared to allow the actor-politician's convoy to pass.She explained that they reached NAD junction at 7.50 am but required 42 minutes to reach the examination centre, resulting in late arrival and subsequent denial of entry."Nearly 30 students were affected. We pleaded repeatedly but were not allowed in," she said, describing their unsuccessful attempts to enter the examination hall.Parent Anil Kumar noted that a brief five-minute allowance from the examination centre could have prevented his daughter from missing the examination and potentially losing an academic year.Kumar expressed that while CMs and deputy CMs are temporary, the situation could have been better managed if police had communicated with the examination centre for a brief extension.Despite arriving at 8.32 am, Kumar's daughter was refused entry for being two minutes late.A parent spoke to the media, requesting Kalyan to consider arranging a re-examination for the affected students.Visakhapatnam police released a statement rejecting any link between the convoy movement and students' tardiness."It is clear that the Deputy CM's movement through the area at 8.41 am has 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.The police additionally noted that examination attendance was particularly high that day."Moreover, no traffic was blocked on the BRTS road or the service roads between Gopalapatnam and Pendurthi at any time before 8.30 am to ensure the free movement of examinees to the examination centre, which is located next to a service road," the police added.The Janasena founder visited the Araku constituency on Monday to meet tribal communities and initiate several road construction projects.