(G.N.S) Dt. 20
Amaravati
YS Jagan government on Monday introduced a bill in the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly to give shape to its plan of having three capitals for the state, with the executive capital in Visakhapatnam, legislative capital in Amaravati and judicial capital in Kurnool.
Several opposition leaders were either detained or placed under house arrest in Andhra Pradesh as protests rocked Amaravati and surrounding districts on Monday, ahead of a crucial Assembly session where the state government is likely to announce its final decision on three capitals proposal.
Tension prevailed as TDP cadres and others took to the streets to demand that Amaravati be continued as the only state capital.
There was high tension at Thullur village as large number of farmers and other villagers tried to march towards the Assembly in response to the ‘Chalo Assembly’ protest called by main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Joint Action Committee (JAC) fighting for protection of Amaravati as the state capital.
Tension prevailed at ‘Dharna Chowk’ as the Amaravati Joint Action Committee (JAC) leaders marched towards the state assembly. When the leaders started marching to the assembly, police tried to stop them following which a verbal altercation took place.
Protesters set up blockades on the route towards assembly and burn effigies.
Some of the cops suffer minor injuries after a clash with protestors moving towards the assembly.
TDP MP Galla Jayadev along with protesters moving towards Andhra Pradesh assembly.
The protesters, including women, removed police barricades to proceed towards the Assembly. Police reportedly used force to stop the protesters.
Meanwhile, the police detained hundreds of TDP workers and protestors trying to reach Amaravati from Vijayawada, other parts of Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam and other districts in the state.
TDP President and Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu termed Monday as a black day for the state. He alleged that the Chief Minister was destroying the dream capital of people to settle political scores with him.
Nara Lokesh, TDP General Secretary and son of Chandrababu Naidu condemned the heavy deployment of police force, tweeting, “Why are there ten policemen in front of each house holding nets? Why is there an atmosphere of war in the capital region villages? How can they deploy so much police force, like the Pakistan border? Is it a crime for people to ask the government to live up to promises made to them?”
