KAKINADA: Tense situation prevailed near the flyover at Nidadavole in East Godavari district on Friday as YSRC activists tried to disrupt the Maha Padayatra of Amaravati farmers to Arasavalli in Srikakulam district.
Amaravati farmers started their padayatra in Nidadavole with the Telugu Desam, CPI, CPM, Jana Sena and BJP workers supporting them. Barricades had been erected so that the yatra could not be disrupted.
However, ruling YSRC supporters led by Nidadavole municipal chairman Bhupathi Adinarayana and ZPTC Koyya Suribabu reached the spot and tried to disrupt the padayatra. They raised slogans against the Amaravati sole capital demand and in favour of three capitals. They shouted “Go Back Amaravati Farmers’’. They released balloons into the air with black ribbons and black towels. Some of the cadre made an attempt to jump over barricades to stop the Padayatra.
Special police forces deployed at the spot prevented the YSRC agitators from coming too near the Amaravati farmers, whose yatra entered the 33rd day.
Telugu Desam official spokesperson and former Pithapuram MLA S.V.S.N. Varma criticised YSRC government for closing the road-cum-railway bridge. He called the closure a conspiracy hatched by ruling party to disrupt Amaravati farmers' padayatra. He found fault with East Godavari district collector Madhavi Latha’s statement that the bridge had been closed for repairs.
Varma asked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy if N. Chandrababu Naidu, as chief minister, had stopped his (Jagan’s) yatra when he had been in opposition. He asserted that the farmers will not give up their padayatra, however much YSRC leaders may try to disrupt it.
