While dismissing the withdrawal of three capitals and Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) bills, the opposition termed that ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy were playing tricks and misleading the public. Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chnadrababu Naidu called Jagan’s announcement in the assembly as jagannatakam, while state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) head Somu Veerraju said the AP CM had no conviction and Jana Sena Party (JSP) president Pawan Kalyan mentioned that Jagan was driving the people into confusion!
On December 17, 2019, CM Jagan first put forward, in the Legislative Assembly, the idea of having three capitals for the state, on the lines of South Africa. In August 2020, the Andhra Pradesh High Court stayed the two new laws establishing three capitals in Andhra Pradesh – Visakhapatnam (executive), Kurnool (judicial), and Amaravati (legislative), amid massive protests and several legal challenges.
After the Jagan government sought Supreme Court’s intervention in the case and refusing to overturn High Court order, the state had no option but to approach the High Court. The two laws received the governor’s assent in August 2020 after being passed for the second time in AP assembly.
With the three capital idea, the farmers of Amaravati, who had voluntarily contributed their lands for capital region, sat in protest, they were supported by opposition and the protest grew heaps and bound by the day. For over 700 days, the farmers sat in protest and demanded that Amaravati be the only capital of the state.
Chandrababu Naidu said that the CM’s action only damaged the state enormously and added that the move was to divert the public and media’s attention from the growing criticism against the government. The TDP supremo warned people that it was not what is being projected by YSRCP, the three capitals bill has not been completely withdrawn. “The latest announcement in the assembly is not to divert people’s attention and put the people in dilemma,” he observed.
Film star-turned-politician and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan said that while confusing the people of AP, Jagan was conspiring for a big plan. It is reported that JSP president had mentioned that Jagan was misleading not just the people but also the High Court of AP. He is reported to have said that with over 50 cases pending in the High court against the three capitals issue, the CM has for the time being withdrawn the bills and was likely to come out with it once again! He added that development should happen across the state, government and private institutions should be spread all over but the capital has to be at one place and that should be at Amaravati.
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State BJP chief Somu Veerraju questioned that the state government had no money to pay salaries and pensions, how could it think of having three capitals. He said Jagan had withdrawn the bills only to escape the High Court. He asked what were the developmental works that were done by the YSRCP government in the state since it has come to power? “All that YSRCP has done it date it only confuse and mislead the people. They are once again taking people for ride by saying that they will come out with a better and comprehensive three capitals bill,” he added.