Tirupati: Confrontation appears to be brewing between protagonists of three capitals for AP and those wanting Amaravati to be retained as the sole capital of the state.
Proponents of both these groups have converged on to the temple town of Tirupati. Members of Rayalaseema Intellectual Forum (RIF), who have the backing of YSRC government, organised a massive rally in Tirupati on Thursday, backing the government’s move for having three capitals in AP for decentralised development.
On Friday, Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi-Joint Action Committee (APS-JAC) will be holding a public meeting near Daminedu on outskirts of Tirupati city seeking retention of Amaravati as the sole capital of AP. Activists of APS-JAC have arrived in the temple town after a 45-day walkathon from Thullur in Amaravati to Tirupati.
RIF leaders had earlier warned APS-JAC against holding any meeting in Tirupati. It also wanted to organise a parallel public meeting on Friday. However, Tirupati Urban police denied permission for both these meetings, stating it could lead to law-and-order problems.
Against this backdrop, both APS and RIF filed separate petitions in Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking permission for their meetings in the temple city on Friday. The High Court, however, made it clear that two meetings cannot be allowed on the same day. The court suggested to RIF that it hold its meeting on some other day. Following this, RIF has planned to hold its meeting in Tirupati on Saturday, while APS meeting will be on Friday.
The element of confrontation appeared on horizon with APS-JAC leaders on Thursday making arrangements for their meeting on Friday, and RIF holding a counter rally in Tirupati on Thursday. Carrying banners declaring support for decentralisation of development, supporters of the three capitals raised slogans demanding that the government set up a High Court complex in Kurnool as part of developing the three capitals.
Speaking to reporters on the occasion, RIF convener M. Purushottam Reddy said people of Rayalaseema are disappointed at the turn of events in the state post withdrawal of the three capitals’ proposal. “People of Rayalaseema region had sacrificed Madras, which was the nearest capital city, for formation of a separate Andhra State. Again, they sacrificed Kurnool for formation of united AP,” he underlined.
“Sribagh Pact, one of the factors for formation of Andhra state in 1953, has not yet been honoured. Sri Krishna Committee has also mentioned that Rayalaseema has been deprived of development. Though, state government has tried to make up partially by choosing Kurnool for setting up the High Court, the three capitals proposal has been withdrawn now, leaving people of Rayalaseema disappointed again,” the RIF convenor said, reiterating the demand for three capitals.
