Farmers Come Out on Streets & Demand That Andhra's Capital Not be Shifted to Visakhapatnam

Amaravati: Farmers in Amaravati region of Andhra Pradesh came out on the streets again on Monday, demanding that the state capital not be shifted from here to Visakhapatnam, even as lawyers extended support to the stir.

Opposition leader in the assembly N Chandrababu Naidu visited the farmers protest camp at Tulluru and dared the government to order a probe by a High Court judge if it felt there was 'insider trading' in land deals in Amaravati.

Protestors, denouncing the YSR Congress governments move to relocate the state capital, staged a dharna in front of Endowments Minister V Srinivasa Raos residence in Vijayawada.

Women turned up in large numbers for the protest in Amaravati as families that gave up their fertile agricultural land for the capital demanded that the government drop its move to have three different capitals at various locations.

"We are forced to shed tears on farmers' day. "Our fertile lands were taken away and now they are trying to shift the capital from here.

Our future has been pushed into darkness and we have been thrown on the roads, the farmers lamented at the dharna camp at Mandadam village.

At no cost should the government shift the capital from Amaravati, they demanded.

Lawyers from coastal districts of SPS Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, Krishna and West Godavari constituted a Joint Action Committee, opposing the governments move to shift the AP High Court from Amaravati to Kurnool.

The lawyers boycotted courts in Vijayawada and staged a protest at the Bar Association. The lawyers JAC would meet at the High Court here on December 27 to decide on the future course of action, a release said.

The AP Secretariat virtually wore a deserted look on Monday as not a single minister attended work.

Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu extended solidarity with the agitating farmers and questioned under which constitution was the Jagan Mohan Reddy government seeking to have three capitals for the state.

He also questioned the sanctity of the experts committee that suggested distribution of capital functions with the Secretariat, High Court and Legislature at three different places.

Having the capital in Amaravati was in the interest of the five crore people of the state and not just the farmers who gave up their lands for its development, the TDP president said.

He demanded that the government drop the move to relocate the capital and assured the farmers that he would stand by them.