VIJAYAWADA: TDP leaders strongly objected to the Centre filing a counter affidavit in the AP High Court that it has no role in the Amaravati issue as the Capital decision is in the exclusive domain of the State government.
The TDP pointed out that at the time of passing the AP Reorganisation Act 2014, the then ruling and the opposition partied at the Centre had come together. So, the onus of protecting the interests of Amaravati farmers and the State lies on the Centre, the party argued.
“Except the YSRC, all the political parties, including the BJP, staged protests demanding continuation of Amaravati as the capital of AP and I cannot understand why the Centre is escaping from resolving the issue,” senior TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said in a statement issued on Thursday.
The Centre has the right to intervene whenever such a crisis situation emerges, he said. “An unanimous resolution was adopted by the AP Legislative Assembly in favour of Amaravati as the capital during the TDP regime and the then leader of the opposition and YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and other parties in the House welcomed the decision. The Centre also approved the decision,” he recalled and sought its intervention to resolve the issue.
Stating that the Centre has a role since Amaravati was selected based on the Sivaramakrishnan Committee recommendations as per the provisions of the Reorganisation Act 2014, TDP leader Bonda Uma Maheswara Rao said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for Amaravati, during which he promised all support to make it a “vibrant capital that will surpass even Delhi”.
Referring to the Central intervention in Kashmir, Bonda Uma said that the national leaders should not forget the fact that Amaravati was selected because it was a centrally located place between Srikakulam and Anantapur, the extreme ends of the State.