TDP leaders detained on way to Amaravati

HYDERABAD: Tension prevailed in the Andhra Pradesh capital region of Amaravati on Thursday, a day before the state cabinet led by chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy meets to take a final decision on shifting the state’s administrative capital to the port city of Visakhapatnam.

The police have stepped up their presence in Amaravati to prevent the outbreak of any violent protests following the cabinet decision.

The capital region has been on the boil since the chief minister declared in the assembly last week that he intended to create three capitals for the state – an executive capital in Viskhapatnam, legislative capital in Amaravati and judicial capital in Kurnool. On Thursday, the police confined senior opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders, including Vijayawada MP Kesineni Srinivas alias Nani and member of the legislative council( MLC) Buddha Venkanna, to

THE TDP SAID IT WOULD CALL FOR A SHUTDOWN ON DECEMBER 28 IF THE CABINET APPROVES THE EXPERT PANEL RECOMMENDATION OF THREE CAPITALS

house arrest, stopping them them as they proceeded to Amaravati.

They had intended to participate in the dharna being organised by farmers of 29 village in the capital region demanding that the capital be retained in Amaravati. Kesineni told reporters that TDP MPs would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek his intervention in stopping the shifting of the executive capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.

The TDP said it would call for a shutdown in the entire state on December 28 if the cabinet approves the recommendation of an expert committee that suggested three capitals for Andhra Pradesh. Farmers of the capital region, who have formed a joint action committee (JAC) in the name of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi, shifted their dharna camp from near the secretariat to Uddandarayunipalem village. “We shall step up the agitation if the cabinet goes ahead with the three capitals decision,” JAC leader K Anil Kumar said.

JAC leaders submitted a memorandum to state home minister M Sucharita and also to governor Bishwabhushan Harichandan, requesting that the executive capital be retained in Amaravati.

Ruling YSR Congress Party general secretary and parliamentary party leader V Vijay Sai Reddy said the shifting of capital from Amaravati was final and the cabinet would approve the move on Friday.