Several farmers in Mangalagiri and Tadikonda constituencies of Amaravati region staged a unique protest and filed complaints with local police claiming ruling YSRCP MLAs Alla Ramakrishna Reddy and Vundavalli Sridevi were missing.
The complaint against Tadikonda MLA Sridevi was filed in Thulluru on Tuesday, while the complaint against Ramakrishna Reddy was filed on Monday in Mangalagiri.
The current capital region has been witnessing protests for over a week following CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's announcement and the expert committee's recommendation that Andhra can have three capitals for "decentralization and development."
A group of women who claimed to be local farmers marched to Thulluru police station before they filed a complaint with officials. In their complaint, they stated that local politicians including MLA Sridevi are not concerned about their flight or expressing their support to Amarvati farmers, though it's been more than a week since they started their protest. The women farmers claimed that they fear the MLA could have gone missing and hence they are requesting the police to find her.
Speaking to the media, one woman farmer said, "We the women farmers from Thulluru gave our lands voluntarily, during the Naidu regime, when everyone (ruling and opposition) was rooting for Amaravati as capital city. We have been protesting against the CM's decision to have three capitals. Despite being a woman leader, you haven't come to us to express solidarity. We hope that you will come at least now and listen to us and tell the government that Amaravati should remain as capital."
Anoter woman said, "Since we didn't find her anywhere, we have filed missing complaint with police, we have urged the police to get our MLA to us, we will talk to her and tell our problems. We don't need any mediators."
On Monday, farmers in Mangalagiri requested police to give them whereabouts of MLA Ramakrishna Reddy. They said they wanted to submit a representation to the MLA detailing their problems with regard to shifting of the capital.
TNM made several attempts to get in touch with the MLAs and this report will be updated once they respond.
Meanwhile, Raptadu YSRCP MLA T Prakash Reddy lashed out at TDP for creating unrest over the decision to have three capitals. Reddy while addressing a press meet said that pro-TDP media was exaggerating the protest and added that a lobby of realtors who would lose money if Amaravati was not the only capital, were behind the protest.