Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's wife N Bhuvaneswari on Sunday said that her family would skip Sankranti celebrations, in view of the ongoing situation in Amaravati.
Farmers in the Amaravati region have been staging protests for close to one month, to oppose the state government's proposed plan to decentralise the capital.
"Everyone in Amaravati is under distress. At such a time, we have decided that it will not be right for us to celebrate the festival. We have decided to stand in support of farmers and women in the region instead. They are demanding their rights. I request everyone to come forward and support their movement," Nara Bhuvaneshwari told reporters.
While the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had promised to develop Amaravati into the capital, the YSRCP is planning to retain it as a 'legislative capital', thereby setting up an executive capital in Visakhapatnam and a judicial one in Kurnool. The move has set off protests across the Amaravati region.
"We have decided to do this in support of the farmers. The farmers had given up their land to the Chief Minister at the time with great hopes of their future. Women have been coming forward to protest and join the movement. Hats off to them," Bhuvaneshwari added.
#Chandrababunaidu family not to celebrate #Pongal2020 .
— P Pavan (@pavanmirror) January 12, 2020
His wife Bhubaneswari says the family took the decision in view of #AmaravatiFarmers agitation.#AndhraPradesh pic.twitter.com/dyEw3gWDLO
In the first week of January, Bhuvaneshwari had contributed her gold bangles in a symbolic move, for the ongoing movement by farmers to demand continuation of Amaravati as the capital.
Bhuvaneswari, daughter of legendary actor, TDP founder and former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao, had joined her husband in visiting Amaravati villages to meet protesting farmers and express solidarity with them.
The couple choose the New Year day to visit Amaravati, the brainchild of Naidu. As a show of solidarity with agitating farmers, the TDP chief and the party stayed away from New Year celebrations.
IANS inputs
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