Chandrababu Naidu seeks people's support to protest against CM Jagan's idea of 3 capitals

TDP president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday held a rally in Machilipatnam area of Krishna district seeking peoples' support in retaining Amaravati as the sole capital of the state. He also appealed for donations from people to continue his movement. CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna accompanied Chandrababu Naidu in the rally.

TDP holds sit-in protests

TDP leaders and workers also held a sit-in protest on the national highway near Kanchikacharla against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP government's plan to move the state capital from Amaravati. Protesters raised slogans against Reddy and in support of Amaravati capital. They burnt tyres on the highway and caused traffic for hours.

The GN Rao Committee, which was set up by the Andhra Pradesh government to look into the suggestion of three capitals, has made a recommendation to allow decentralised development in the state by using the available resources efficiently. It proposed Visakhapatnam as the Executive capital and Kurnool the judicial capital while retaining Amaravati as the legislative capital.

READ | Former AP CM Chandrababu Naidu Questions Jagan Reddy's Decision, Stands With Farmers

'Declaration of Amaravati as capital is unconstitutional'

Amid uncertainty over Andhra Pradesh's new capital(s), a senior YSRCP leader has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, stating, the declaration of "Amaravati" as the capital was unconstitutional and violates the fundamental constitutional principles. YSRCP MLA Dharmana Prasada Rao in his letter accused the previous Chandrababu Naidu government of overriding an expert committee recommendation to declare "Amaravati" as the new capital. 

READ | 'Declaration Of Amaravati As Capital Unconstitutional': YSRCP MLA Writes To Prez Kovind

Amaravati farmers protest

Farmers have been protesting for the past week since Reddy's '3-capital' idea was announced, demanding the government to drop the move to shift the state capital from Amaravati. Defying the prohibitory order and not heeding the police warning to vacate the place and remove the tents, farmers continued the dharna, holding the national flag, on the main road in the village leading to the state Secretariat on January 2. The government is reportedly planning a special assembly session before deciding on the capital and is reportedly planning to set up a community to address the issues of the Amaravati farmers and their evacuation.

WATCH | Andhra Pradesh Farmers Protest Against The Proposed Change Of The Capital City

READ | BJP Slams Andhra Government For Using Police Forces Inhumanly Against Farmers Of Amaravati

(With inputs from ANI)