Farmers' padayatra faces resistance in North Andhra

Tanuku/Vijayawada: Several streets in twin Godavari districts and North Andhra are reverberating with pro-Amaravati and anti-Amaravati slogans for the past few days.

The padayatra of Amaravati farmers to Srikakulam has been facing stiff resistance from YSRCP activists led by Minister Karmuri Venkata Nageswara Rao for the past two days. On Wednesday, some tense moments were witnessed as the YSRCP activists thronged the narrow road through which the padayatra was to pass en route to Nidadavole. The entire area reverberated with slogans like, "one state one capital," and "Fake yatris go back." Police had tough time regulating the movement.

Local people were left wondering how the police had allowed the YSRCP activists to come in large numbers there and protest.

On the other hand, the state government has intensified its campaign supporting three-capital formula. It is making all-out arrangements to mobilise large crowds for the Visakha Garjana on October 15.

Leaders, ministers and MPs have taken up a massive campaign to drum up support for Vizag as the executive capital and even said that they will not allow TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to enter North Andhra as he neglected the region. Interestingly, a JAC in Rayalaseema was also formed on Wednesday demanding shifting of the High Court.

Minister for Revenue Dharmana Prasad reiterated that the lands in Amaravati region are in the hands of one section of the people denying the opportunity to others. He said Visakhapatnam city is the best place to absorb people of all the regions. He said that North Andhra region has been lagging in development even 75 years after getting freedom.

Minister for Industries Gudivada Amarnath said that while the people of the region started struggle to make Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, the TDP and Jana Sena parties are trying to create hurdles.

Minister for Roads and Buildings Dadisetti Raja said that Pawan Kalyan was planning for North Andhra yatra to divert the attention of people from Visakha Garjana.

The Amravati Farmers JAC, the state BJP and TDP questioned Dharmana as to what prevented him from developing the region when he was the Revenue Minister in the Congress government in the past? They also said that creating obstruction to padayatra amounts to contempt of court as the High Court had given permission to the farmers of Amaravati.