Oppn terms Andhra Pradesh CM Reddy's repeal of 3 Capitals law 'drama'; 'Misleading people'

Hours after Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy's announcement to repeal the legislation enabling the establishment of three capitals for Andhra Pradesh, opposition parties in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday said that the move has only pushed people in the state into further confusion. The Opposition termed the move as a 'drama'.

The Opposition also stated that the decision was taken to avert a certain defeat in the High Court, where writ petitions were being heard over the illegal legislation.

The Opposition also found a loophole with CM Reddy's announcement that the government would soon bring a fresh bill on the issue of three capitals for the state.

Leader of Opposition and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Chief N Chandrababu Naidu said that Jagan's action only damaged the state enormously.

Opposition slams move; says CM misleading people, escaping HC decision 

TDP General Secretary and MLC Nara Lokesh called Jagan 'Tuglaq 3.0' and hit out at the latter over "total lies and half-truths".

Lokesh in a statement said that the Andhra CM only misled people in the state, claiming they gave him a huge mandate in 2019 for the capital trifurcation plan.

Jana Sena President K Pawan Kalyan said that the YSRCP-led government took the hasty decision only to escape the High Court.

"As defeat (in High Court) became certain, the government hurriedly brought in the repeal Bill for a temporary escape. The government started a new drama when everyone was expecting the court to bring the curtains down on the capital issue," Kalyan noted.

Andhra Congress President Sake Sailajanath demanded that CM Reddy be more transparent on the capital issue and not beat around the bush. ''We don’t want your deceitful talk. It’s atrocious to say a new Bill will be brought in. This has only caused further confusion,'' Sailajanath lashed out.

He demanded that CM Jagan Mohan Reddy remain firm to his earlier decision and retain Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party General Secretary Satya Kumar also noted that Decentralisation Repeal Bill was only a 'drama' as defeat stared in the government's face on the capital Bill in the High Court.

Andhra CM announces repeal of three capitals law

On December 17, 2019, CM Jagan Mohan Reddy first put forward, in the Legislative Assembly, the idea of having three capitals for the state, on the lines of South Africa. In August 2020, the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed the two new laws establishing three capitals in Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam (executive), Kurnool (judicial), and Amaravati (legislative), amid massive protests and several legal challenges.

After the Jagan govt sought SC's intervention in the case, the Supreme Court refused to overturn the HC's stay, urging the state to approach the High Court. The two laws received the governor's assent in August 2020 after being passed for the second time in AP Assembly.

Amid the second COVID wave, the YSRCP government reintroduced and passed the AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) Repeal Bill after failing to pass it at the State Legislative Council. With no Opposition members present, the state assembly passed it via voice vote. The two bills which had been passed by the Assembly in January 2020, were referred to a select committee by the Legislative council where the TDP holds a majority. The bills propose the Secretariat to be situated in Visakhapatnam, High court in Kurnool and State Assembly at Amaravati - naming them the executive, judicial and legislative capital of the state.

Amaravati farmers protest

Ever since the Chief Minister first mooted the three capitals plan, thousands of farmers, who parted with over 33,000 acres of their rich fertile land for building the Amaravati capital city, took to the streets and launched a protest, demanding that the trifurcation move be withdrawn.

The farmers’ agitation crossed 700 days and they are now midway through a 45-day foot march to Tirumala Hills in support of their demand.

(With Inputs from PTI)

Image: PTI