TDP-led farmer agitation a drama, aimed to safeguard real estate business: YSRCP

Tirupati/Visakhapatnam: Slamming TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu for allegedly trying to bluff people through farmers' protest, YSRCP leaders said it is a ploy to safeguard the real estate business in Amaravati.

Speaking to the media, they said farmers' agitation is being led by real estate agents of TDP to protect their ill-gotten properties by demanding Amaravati as a sole capital.

"TDP leaders have no moral right to talk on the capital issue as they were demanding to create wealth for a few and in one region while depriving others of any benefit," they said.

Minister for Panchayat Raj Peddireddy Ramachandrareddy said that Chandrababu Naidu has been trying to repeat the same mistake made in Hyderabad by concentrating development only in Amaravati. He said Chandrababu Naidu is staging a political drama because the land prices have come down.

"Whose interest he wants to protect and at what cost? Chandrababu tried to make a profit of Rs two lakh crore through real estate by using farmers. People are not going to fall for his words, as they still support Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy's policy of decentralized development," he said.

Ramachandrareddy said the government will make a specific law and table it in the legislative assembly for the overall development of all three regions. About support of BJP, Congress, and other parties to TDP, he said all those leaders who stood by Chandrababu had no moral right to speak.

MLA Gudivada Amarnath said TDP's agitation is a publicity stunt. "TDP is projecting Amaravati farmers' agitation as a global issue even though people from all across knew that it was a real estate issue," he said.

The MLA stated that the government is not against the Amaravati region, but wanted to provide equal opportunities through decentralized development. He said a better package to the Amaravati farmers is being given.

He slammed Chandrababu Naidu for falsely propagating that the people of North Andhra and Rayalaseema are holding rallies in support of Amaravati as a single capital. He also took a dig at CPI for extending support to the TDP on the Amaravati issue.

He said the government is firm to develop the state on all fronts through decentralization despite the hurdles that come across.

He said Visakhapatnam has the potential to be the capital and the decentralized administration would result in equitable development of all the regions and help backward areas of North Andhra.

He said Chandrababu has been hampering the development of North Andhra and Rayalaseema regions to safeguard his real estate business in Amaravati.