Recently, a student questioned the YCP MLA of Puthalapattu in the Chittoor district about the delay in the issuance of fee reimbursement. For raising his voice, the youngster, along with nine others, were charged under the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and arrested.

Pawan Kalyan has accused the Andhra Pradesh government of misusing the Act to silence dissent. The Jana Sena Party chief said that the government is locking up dissenters by slapping non-bailable cases through the Act. He questioned the police-handedness in the issue.

"Is it wrong to demand fee reimbursement under the 'Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhutvam' program?" the actor-politician asked.

Pawan Kalyan counselled the government saying that the administrative machinery should not discriminate on the basis of caste or any other identity. He said that BR Ambedkar had wished that the Act would be used for the protection of SCs and STs, not to weaponize it to muffle anti-government voices.