Naidu urges people to donate money kept for New Year's revelry to Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu urged TDP workers to forego new year celebrations and instead donate the amount to the joint action committee for the protection of Amaravati as the state capital.

Vijayawada:Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday urged its party cadre, leaders and people to donate the money that they would spend for New Year celebrations to the Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi, which represents farmers protesting against the government's three-capital proposal.

The proposal to create three different capital cities in the state has triggered protests across Amaravati, especially among farmers who had given up their land in the promise of getting developed plots in the capital. Also, the Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi (Amaravati farmers protection committee) has approached the High Court against the state government's proposed move.

"These are devastating times for Andhra Pradesh. Instead of solving existing problems, the Y S Jaganmohan Reddy government is creating new ones compounding the misery of people. The three capital announcements have thrust the state into chaos," Naidu said in a tweet.

Thousands of farmers, agriculture workers, women and children from all sections of society are protesting on the roads -- something that has never happened before, he said in the tweet.

"With hope in their hands, they had given away their lands towards construction of Amaravati. Their future must not be jeopardised. Their sacrifice must not go waste. Every one of us must stand shoulder to shoulder with the farmers and their families and support them in their struggle against injustice, against tyranny," he added.

Stating that TDP has decided not to celebrate New Year in view of the Amaravati agitation, Naidu said, "Save Amaravati must be the battle cry of each of us. ...I urge all party leaders, cadre and people to donate the money which they would have spent on celebrations to Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi."

On December 27, the Andhra Pradesh cabinet had deferred taking a decision on relocating the state capital and decided to constitute another high-powered committee to study the report of the G N Rao committee.

The G N Rao committee had recommended three capitals for the state a legislative one in Amaravati, an executive one in Visakhapatnam and a judicial capital in Kurnool.