TIRUPATI: Leader of the Opposition and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, along with political joint action committee leaders, took out a rally in Tirupati on Saturday in protest against the State government’s plan to have three capitals for the State.
Speaking on the occasion, the former chief minister said ‘one State-one capital’ was the TDP slogan and described Amaravati and Polavaram as the two eyes of the State. The TDP chief collected Rs 2.8 lakh donations from people with a ‘jholi’ (bag) for the Amaravati movement.
Addressing the gathering at Nalugu Kalla Mandapam, Naidu claimed that in early days, Amaravati had a great civilisation. "The government says Amaravati is a flood-prone area. But civilisation emerges from the banks of water sources. If insider trading took place, government can take action. The government even laid a caste stamp on the capital. But the reality is that the villages in Amaravati and surrounding areas have people from all castes and the capital area is an SC constituency," he pointed out.
Naidu also wanted YSR Congress leaders to clarify as to why they were shifting the capital to Visakhapatnam. "YSRC leaders have been trying to grab lands in the Visakhapatnam region," he alleged.
"There are sufficient buildings in Amaravati to continue it as capital. Farmers in the capital region gave 33,000 acres voluntarily for the capital. If Visakhapatnam would be the capital, people of Rayalaseema have to travel around 950 km. No Vizagite has asked for establishing the capital there. Today, the Visakhapatnam city is developed in all sectors," the TDP chief pointed out.
"Telangana people are laughing at us. They are saying that Andhra leaders cannot even build a capital," he said. The TDP chief took a dig at the YSRC government’s three-capital proposal stating that they can have 30 capitals if they want.Criticising DGP Gautam Sawang, he advised the top cop to go back to the northeast.
Chandrababu Naidu provoking regional sentiments: Deputy CM K Narayana Swamy
Tirupati: Deputy Chief Minister K Narayana Swamy has lashed out at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for "provoking regional sentiments and creating a disturbed atmosphere" in the State. Addressing the media here on Saturday, Narayana Swamy said the Leader of the Opposition was planning a political conspiracy.
"Naidu had failed to develop North Andhra and Rayalaseema regions during his regime. Majority of the people are welcoming the three-capital proposal, but Naidu and his team are provoking farmers for agitations with his fake claims," Narayana Swamy said.
The Deputy CM said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had fulfilled 85 per cent of his poll promises in just seven months. "Naidu is begging for money for the protests in Amaravati even after looting the State in the last five years. It is a drama to lure people and create distress among the Amaravati region. People are not going to believe his words anymore," he said