Sections of people in Amaravati region have been staging protests in the wake of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s announcement and the expert committee's report recommendation that Andhra can have three capitals for "decentralization and development."
On Monday, former Chief Minister and TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu attended a protest gathering organised in Thulluru of the capital region, in support of farmers who protested against 'taking away' of capital from Amaravati.
Earlier this week, G Nageswara Rao, the head of the expert committee, suggested the government that the government can set up three capitals in Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool.
Addressing the gathering, Chandrababu said that Jagan is causing trouble for the people of Amaravati just because of his grudge against the former Chief Minister. He said, "For the welfare of the state, there should be decentralisation of development but not decentralization of the administration, he is troubling people with hate on me this is unfair."
He further added, "I have set up different institutions across the state to equally develop all the regions, but now with his plans to shift the capital, he (CM) is creating a rift between the regions. He is talking as if people of Amaravati are of a specific caste though people of all communities live here."
He said that the people and the farmers in the Amaravati are angry and they're ready to fight and even go to jails. He also alleged that Jagan is threatening the farmers in order to scare them psychologically, though they have sacrificed 30,000 acres.
Naidu assured the farmers that he is ready to fight with them to continue Amaravati as the capital of the state, adding, "I'm with you completely in this fight to ensure Amaravati remains the capital. Amaravati is a historical city. Don't (YSRCP) provoke people for political gains don't trouble the farmers their curse and tears are not good for you as CM and state."
He said, "There are no politics in my fight, I have come here as a man who assured equal justice to all the regions, this region too should get what it was promised to be deserved (capital in Amaravati)."
Naidu has also taken potshots at Jagan’s announcement even before the GN Rao report, stating that CM YS Jagan has leaked the question paper even before student (expert committee) sat for the examination. He also accused the expert head committee of giving a report that was favourable to Jagan.