Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi JAC conveners A. Siva Reddy and G. Tirupati Reddy on Friday said the overwhelming response to the “'Jana Bheri” had rattled the Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
At a press conference at the Samithi office, they said the active participation of farmers of the 29 villages in the Amaravati region, representatives of all political parties, except the YSR Congress Party, and student, youth, women and trade and other organisations had demonstrated a clear show of strength in support of Amaravati as the permanent capital of the State.
The JAC leaders said they would take the slogan of “One State One Capital” to the grassroot levels, explaining to the people the importance of retaining Amaravati as the capital and the harm that could befall on the State if Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s three-capital formula was implemented.
They said the government had unleashed a misleading campaign. The schemes it had launched were replete with irregularities. They were not against distribution of land to the poor and the weaker sections, but they were opposed to misleading statements being issued by Ministers Kodali Nani and Perni Venkataramaiah.
Police criticised
Mr. Tirupati Reddy criticised the police behaviour at the “Jana Bheri” despite the fact that the public meeting was being organised with prior permission. He dared the ruling party MLAs to announce publicly that they did not want Amaravati as the capital, and said the fact that people were confined to indoors due to the COVID-19 pandemic had come as a boon to the YSRCP leaders lest they would have rebelled against the government decision. He said the JAC would further intensify the agitation.
United Farmers' Action Committee convener Puvvada Sudhakar pointed to the fact that the farmers’ agitation had the support of all political parties. He said remarks made against farmers by Minister Kodali Nani and Perni Venkataramaiah were “unfortunate”.
JAC leaders Rayapati Sailaja, Rambabu, Guntur JAC leader Mallikarjun Rao and others were present.