Padayatra receives warm welcome in Prakasam district

Ongole: The 'Nyayasthanam to Devasthanam Padayatra', by Amaravati farmers demanding that the government continue Amaravati as State capital entered Prakasam district at Chinanandipadu village in Parchur Assembly constituency amid much fanfare on Saturday.

Hundreds of locals under the leadership of the MLA Yeluri Sambasiva Rao offered a grand welcome to the farmers and supporters of the capital Amaravati by bursting crackers, showering flowers and raising slogans.

Leaders of the TDP, Left parties, Jana Sena, BJP, Congress and their party workers, along with hundreds of women and youth from various places in the district gathered at Chinanandipadu village early morning and were eager to join the Padayatra.

The farmers appeared in their natural attire holding ploughs on tractors, while the artistes of Kolatam encouraged youth and women walking along with them for several kilometres. The people who joined the procession raised voices 'Save Amaravari' in support of the farmers taking part in the Padayatra.

The farmers from Miryalaguda of Nalgonda district in Telangana State also took part in Padayatra and donated a sum of Rs 1 lakh to the Amaravati farmers who have undertaken a long march. Several others also made a donation of over Rs 4.94 lakh.

Speaking to the people, Parchuru MLA Sambasiva Rao said that capital Amaravati has the support of five crore people in the State. He said the downfall of the YSRCP government began in the State.

He welcomed the kind gesture of the Telangana farmers who extended financial support to the padayatra. He announced that the agitation by the Amaravati farmers is no longer their sole agitation, but it is the agitation of people of all regions of the State and he asked the State government to understand the reality. TDP State vice-president Damacharla Janardhana Rao, Kondapi MLA Dola Bala Veeranjaneya Swamy, former MLAs Muthumula Ashok Reddy, Palaparti David Raju, GV Anjaneyulu, Telugu Mahila State president Vangalapudi Anita, TDP's Ongole parliament president Dr Nukasani Balaji, Congress leader JD Seelam, BJP leader Ravela Kishore Babu, and others also welcomed the 'Nyayasthanam to Devasthanam Padayatra' at Chinanandipadu, which took a break for the day at Parchuru.