Amaravati activists to launch Maha Padayatra from Sept 12

Vijayawada (NTR District): Members of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi (APS) and Farmers Joint Action Committee informed that they are going to organise Maha Padayatra from Amaravati to Arasavilli with the slogan 'Build Amaravati - Save Andhra Pradesh from September 12.

Addressing the media here on Thursday, APS convener A Siva Reddy said that they have been agitating for the last 975 days, demanding the protection of Amaravati. The 650km length Maha Padayatra would highlight the importance of the capital city, which is upheld by Andhra Pradesh High Court, he said.

Strongly assailing the State government for not taking initiative to restart the construction of the capital city in spite of the judgment by Andhra Pradesh High Court, Siva Reddy said that the present dispensation had no respect for the Constitution, no respect for the judiciary and no respect for the people's aspirations.

He said that there would be no future for the State without the capital city of Amaravati. He thanked all the political parties and people for their unstinting support to the agitation for the capital city.

Gadde Tirupati Rao recalled that when they launched padayatra 'from Nyaya Sthanam to Devasthanam (from Amaravati to Tirumala)' last time, several thousands of criminal cases were filed against the agitators. But the Padayatra was successful with the cooperation of people of various sections.

Likewise, the proposed Maha Padayatra would also be successful, he hoped. Mahila JAC convener Dr Rayapati Sailaja said that they could come to the Amaravati region to find out the facts by meeting people.

The APS leaders appealed to the people of all regions in the State to make Maha Padayatra a grand success.

Later, they released a QR code brochure of Maha Padayatra to get enrollment of members for the walkathon.

JAC leaders Dhanekula Rama Rao, Melam Bhagya Rao, Swarajya Rao, Martin, Uma, and others also spoke.