Andhra Pradesh: Congress warns of regional differences with 3 capitals

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president S Sailajanath warned Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy that regional differences would crop up if he went ahead with his proposal of three capitals. He said in a statement here on Monday that the Chief Minister was taking unilateral decisions just like his predecessor N Chandrababu Naidu. "If the capital is changed whenever the administration is changed, who should be held responsible," he wondered.

Sailajanath recalled that the farmers gave their land for the capital city after Jagan Mohan Reddy as the opposition leader assured them that the capital would remain at Amaravati. "If the capital is shifted in the name of decentralisation, the farmers are at the losing end," he said.

The Chief Minister should consult all the stakeholders before taking the decision on the capital city, he said. "The capital city should be available for all the people in the state," he pointed out.

The PCC chief ridiculed the proposal of development of all regions instead of demanding special package from the Centre for the development of north Andhra. The Chief Minister should convince his friends to provide special packages for Rayalaseema and north Andhra on the lines of Bundelkhand, he said remarking that his friends did not believe in the Constitution and they were averse to the democracy.

Recalling that High Court and the capital city were situated at different places in 14 states in the country, he said that according to the Sribagh Agreement, capital city and the High Court were different issues. The High Court should be at one place and merely stating High Court benches, the Chief Minister was misleading people, he said.

Sailajanath condemned the arrest of the Congress leaders when they launched agitation against the three capitals issue.