Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Friday dared Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to seek re-election as a final referendum on the proposed trifurcation of the State capital.
Mr. Naidu termed Governor Biswa Bhushan Harichandan’s assent to the decentralisation and the CRDA Repeal Bills a “historic blunder. ” It was a ‘black Friday’ in the history of Andhra Pradesh, he added.
“Who will do justice to the people of the State?’’ he asked, adding the decision was in violation of the reorganisation Act.
Addressing a press conference on Friday, Mr. Naidu said similar thing has happened with regard to State Election Commissioner Ramesh Kumar, whose unconstitutional removal was eventually struck down by the court. This was not the time for politics and all the institutions involved should think of protecting the State’s overall interests.
Mr. Jagan spoke loudly in favour of Amaravati as only the Capital for A.P. on the floor of the Assembly when he was in the Opposition, but after coming to power, he took a U-turn and started taking decisions aimed at destroying Amaravati. Such hateful activities never happened in the history of any State and even Mr. Jagan’s father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy continued all the developmental projects launched by the TDP regime in Hyderabad, he said.
‘State’s future at stake’
If the YSRCP is allowed to have its way, the State would touch rock bottom in terms of development. The Chief Minister had taken a decision to crush the dream and long-term aspirations of not just 29,000 farmers of Amaravati but the 5 crore people of the State. Moreover, the breach of trust by the YSRCP would severely harm future generations.
Mr. Naidu announced that the TDP would participate in the State-wide agitation called by the Amaravati Joint Action Committee.
Welcoming the outpouring of support from all sections to the cause, he urged the people to realise that the time has come to intensify the agitation against the “vicious and atrocious” Capital shifting.