Former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday appealed the YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh to stop its 'political game' and begin new efforts to complete the capital construction in its present location in Amaravati in the larger interests of all regions.
Addressing a virtual press conference, TDP chief Naidu urged all like-minded people across the world to take heed and join the protest call given by the Amaravati Joint Action Committee (JAC) on July 4 and make it a big success. The TDP will also take part in these protests while observing all preventive measures in view of the coronavirus pandemic. The Telugu diaspora in other countries will also participate in these protests, he said.
Stating that he would take part in protests at Amaravati, Naidu asserted that the YSRCP should stop its "stubborn and perverse arguments" on the capital city issue.
"The government must at least recognise now that it would be only by developing a single capital city with huge potential that the entire state would be able to reap the benefits of overall development. Amaravati would be the only hope for the future generations of Andhra Pradesh. The Assembly, Secretariat, Courts complexes, townships and other buildings should be developed here itself. There has been no legal dispute also in this huge project till now," Naidu said.
Chandrababu Naidu said that there has been great support from all walks of life for Amaravati farmers' agitation, which will shortly complete 200 days. Agitators across the world will take part in virtual rallies and protests to bring pressure on the adamant state government.
Naidu told the ruling party that even their party sympathisers in Amaravati area have voluntarily given up their lands. "In 2019 elections, both MLA seats in Amaravati region were won by YSRCP. But now, the YSRCP was behaving in a macal way to shift the capital without any respect for their own supporters and the local people," he said.
Highlighting that Amaravati was visualised as a self-financing project, the TDP chief said that thousands of crores in funds had already been spent on developing some basic facilities in the Capital.
The YSRCP government is planning to decentralise the state capital into three areas: Amaravati, Visakhapatnam and Kurnool- Amaravati capital region but farmers and several people have been agitating against it.
According to the plan, Visakhapatnam would be the executive capital, and Kurnool (in Rayalaseema) the judicial capital, where the high court will be established.
( With inputs from ANI )