YSRCP leaders misleading people on Supreme Court’s observations on Amaravati issue, alleges TDP

The apex court has merely stayed the time frame set by the A.P. High Court for development of the capital, but has not cleared the three capitals, says Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy

Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy has alleged that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders, including Legislative Assembly Speaker Thammineni Seetharam, are misleading the people of North Andhra on the Supreme Court’s observations and staying of the Andhra Pradesh High Court’s order to develop Amaravati in six months.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Mr. Murthy said the apex court had stayed the time frame set by the High Court and not the judgment that the capital should come up in Amaravati.

“The YSRCP leaders are portraying as if the High Court’s order has been quashed by the apex court, and that the three capitals have been upheld,” Mr. Murthy said.

“Such an interpretation is acceptable from novices such as IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath and Fisheries Minister S. Appala Raju, but not from a veteran like Mr. Seetharam,” the TDP leader said.

Mr. Murthy pointed out that High Court had clearly said that Amaravati would be the sole capital of the State and it cannot be shifted or split. It was only after the High Court verdict that the ruling party had withdrawn the ‘Three Capital Bill’. Moreover, the ruling party had not approached the Supreme Court for six months after the High Court verdict, which was the time frame set for development of Amaravati.

Since it could not stick to the time frame, the government had filed a SLP seeking a stay on the “time-bound clauses” of the judgment, and the apex Court only stayed those, while posting the matter for further hearing on January 31, 2023, the TDP leader said.

The Supreme Court had not cleared the ‘three capitals’, he added.

‘False propaganda’

Mr. Murthy alleged that the false propaganda was targeted at keeping the land rates high as the YSRCP leaders had acquired vast extents of land in Visakhapatnam.

“Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy should explain facts to the people instead of allowing leaders such as Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and Mr. Seetharam to spread falsehood,” the TDP leader said.

Referring to former MP Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy’s murder case, Mr. Murthy said it was a matter of shame for Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy that the daughter of his slain uncle feared threat to her life and categorically said she had no faith in the SIT constituted by the YSRCP government.