Protests over ‘three capitals’ idea in Andhra Pradesh

Students and farmers were among those agitating

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s idea of having three state capitals in different regions has left the state completely divided. While the people in and around the present capital Amarvati were up in arms against the idea, those likely to benefit, especially in Visakhapatnam, were happy.

As the state government has set up yet another panel of 18 members to study the proposal of three capitals, the agitation in and around Amarvati was gaining momentum. In Vijayawada,

hundreds of people formed a human chain yesterday morning to register their opposition to the idea.

They were shouting slogans against the decentralisation of the capital. This was latest in the series of protest programmes over the last fortnight involving different sections of people, including farmers and students. The farmers who had voluntarily pooled more than 33,000 acres of land in Krishna and Guntur districts for the development of Amarvati as capital were in the forefront of the protests.

Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed his anger as well. “Police has resorted to brutal repression at the behest of the government. They are even booking attempt to murder cases against the agitating farmers,” he said.