People in the Capital region of Amaravati continued their protests against the idea of ‘three capitals’ bringing back the memories of the heydays of the movement for Statehood to Telangana.
With Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his Cabinet Ministers hinting at establishing Executive capital at Visakhapatnam, judiciary capital at Kurnool and Legislative capital in Amaravati, ten days ago, villagers launched agitation in protest against the idea.
Tempers ran high in the capital villages in Guntur and Krishna districts with the locals taking up protests opposing the government’s move. They allege that both TDP and YSRCP governments have ditched them.
“We gave about 32,000 acres of fertile land for setting up capital in Amaravati. But, now the government is coming up with three-capital proposal. Our lands are not fit for cultivation now. What is our future,” farmers who gave land for AP temporary capital questioned.
Thousands of villagers, along with their families, came on to the roads and have been agitating for the last ten days asking the government to withdraw the three-capital proposal and retain Amaravati as the AP capital.
Farmers, women, students, advocates and members of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi and other organisations take up protests in different ways. Villagers were observing relay fast, organising dharnas, rallies, ‘vanta vaarpu’, bike rallies and candlelight processions and were forming human chains.
Women and children, carrying placards, were raising slogans against the government and demanding that the Centre interfere in the matter and ensure that Amaravati project is revived. They threatened intensify the agitation, if government did not consider their demand.
Curfew-like situation
Curfew-like situation prevails in Thullur, Mandadam, Velagapudi, Undavalli, Uddandarayunipalem, Mangalagiri, Kuragallu, Penumaka, Nelapadu, Bethapudi, Krishnayapalem and other villages with police deploying heavy forces in wake of the protests.
Villagers were continuing relay fasts on the eleventh day on Saturday. Agitations were seen in Vijayawada, Machilipatnam and other places in the Krishna district.
Police clamped Section 144 and Section 30 of Police Act and put up pickets in the villages. They booked cases against several protesters in the last few days. Many persons, including former Ministers, MLAs and some locals were arrested.
