KURNOOL: Throwing the guantlet at TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, YSRC leader and Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy on Monday demanded that the former explain to the people reasons for his opposition to shifting the high court to Kurnool, and in the same breath, announced the State government’s intention to build the court building at Jagannadha Gattu in such a way that “it could be visible from even 10 km away.”
He was speaking at the Rayalaseema Garjana organised by the region’s non-political joint action committee at the STBC grounds here in support of three capitals for the State.
“Chandrababu Naidu must explain why he is opposed to having the high court in Kurnool. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy strongly believes decentralisation ensures balanced development of all the regions.. which is why he announced Kurnool as the judicial capital of the state,” he said.
The Rayalaseema Garjana, which resembled the Visakha Garjana that was held recently, drew thousands of people from different parts of the region. The YSRC, which is backing the non-political JACs of both Uttarandhra and Rayalaseema, sent its big guns from Rayalaseema to the meeting.
Seeking to put Naidu in a cleft-stick, Buggana taunted the former chief minister, pointing out that he could not make Kuppam, his home turf, a revenue division despite being in power for a long time.
Rayalaseema witnessed no growth in Naidu’s tenure, says Peddireddy
“But it was Jagan Mohan Reddy who made Kuppam a revenue division. Several development activities in the region are happening only because of the Chief Minister’s initiative,” the Finance Minister claimed and recalled that it was the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, who had released funds for expediting the works of Handri Neeva, Pothireddypadu, and Galeru Nagari projects. “On the other hand, Chandrababu Naidu released just Rs 15 crore out of Rs 6000 crore for those projects,” he observed.
Reminding the people of the historical background for demanding the high court in Kurnool, Buggana said when the first linguistic state of Andhra was formed in 1953, Kurnool was made its capital and when AP was formed in 1956, the people of Rayalaseema sacrificed the same and allowed Hyderabad to be made the capital. “It is Jagan Mohan Reddy, who is trying to make Kurnool the judicial capital in line with the spirit of the Sribagh Pact. Like his father, he too believes that with the judicial capital here, development of Rayalaseema is possible,” he said.
Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy too lashed out at Naidu, alleging that Rayalaseema saw no development during the 14 years tenure of N Chandrababu Naidu as chief minister. “Naidu has no moral right to talk about development as his focus is only on one region... even when the state was undivided, he focused his attention on Hyderabad’s development ignoring other regions,” he said and called upon the people to treat Chandrababu Naidu as betrayer to the cause of Rayalaseema. Labour Minister Gummanur Jayaram took potshots at the Telugu film industry, stating that Tollywood earns crores of rupees from the region but isn’t forthcoming when it comes to its development. He demanded that the film fraternity support Kurnool as judicial capital. His remarks are interesting as Tollywood is seen to be close to the TDP.
JAC leader Vijay Kumar Reddy, on his part, cautioned the people of Rayalaseema, saying that they would have to face injustice yet again if they do not raise their voice. “If we do not condemn political cheaters who are ignoring this region, Rayalaseema will suffer immensely. Let us all unite and fight for judicial capital, completion of pending projects, the rightful share of water for irrigation, and establishment of industries,” he said. Another key leader from JAC Sreeramulu said Kurnool people have sacrificed more than one lakh acres of fertile land for the sake of the Srisailam project.
“Our sacrifices are greater than the bogus claims of Amaravati capital villages,” he said. Speaking about the Sribagh Pact, the JAC leader said it was an agreement sealed between the political leaders of coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions in 1937 -- whereby it was decided that Rayalaseema would have the capital and the coastal region the high court or vice-versa.With educational institutions closed, students and teachers participated in the meeting along with a number of advocates led by several bar associations in Rayalaseema region.