Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday asserted that the agitation against the government’s plans to shift part of the Capital to Visakhapatnam would intensify if the government tried to suppress it labelling it a law and order problem.
Addressing a meeting organised by Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi here, Mr. Naidu said it was unfortunate that the police foiled the bus yatra of the Joint Action Committee (JAC)citing security problems. It was not correct on the part of the government to stop the yatra. “Father (YS Rajasekahra Reddy and son (Jagan Mohan Reddy) had undertaken padayatras when I served as Chief Minister. Would it have been possible for them to take out padayatras had I taken a similar stand? he asked.
“The agitation for the people’s capital will continue come what may. As many as 11 farmers died of heart attack while protesting against the government’s proposals. The government says ₹1 lakh crore is required for construction of the Capital city. The Secretariat, the Assembly and the High Court are already in place. What more they want? They allege that insider trading happened. If it were really true, let them order a probe by a sitting judge,” he said.
‘Prove charges if they are true’
CPI State secretary K. Ramakrishna said that Amaravati should be continued as the Capital. Also, the backward regions should be developed. The Ministers read out the names in the Assembly alleging insider trading. If their claims were true, why no action had been taken till date, he asked.
TDP leader and former Deputy Chief Minister K. E. Krishnamurthy sought to know why the Chief Minister was afraid of the bus yatra. The student, employees and people organisations should wage a united struggle against the government’s “undemocratic policies” and “autocratic rule,” he said.
