CPI demands to retain capital in Amaravati

Tirupati: Protesting the government's move to shift the state capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, the CPI activists led by district secretary Rama Naidu staged a protest at party office here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Naidu reminded that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy when he was in opposition declared before the elections that his party allow Amaravathi to continue as capital but now retracted violating his own words.

Jagan Mohan Reddy in nexus with the BJP brought to the fore three capitals only for achieving his political ends, the CPI leader said adding that setting up of three capitals would prove an unbearable burden to the state which had already spent considerable amount on construction of buildings in Amaravati for housing the capital. He said it is not proper for Jagan to ignore his own assurances after coming to power and added that both the centre and state should focus on tackling the dreaded Covid which is hitting hard all sections of people instead of raking up unnecessary controversies. Party district committee members T Janardhan, C Penchalaiah, city leaders MD Prasad and others also participated in the protest.

AITUC activists also staged a protest to press the government to retain Amaravati as state capital. AITUC general secretary P Murali said that people would teach a fitting lesson to YSRCP if its government goes ahead with the shifting of the capital to Vizag.