Won't attend foundation laying ceremony of Andhra Pradesh capital, says Jagan

Hyderabad: Alleging that the TDP government in Andhra Pradesh is indulging in "real estate business" in the development of capital city Amaravathi, YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy on Thursday said he would not attend the foundation laying ceremony for the capital on October 22.

"You are doing real estate business and hurting people's interests for your commissions and bribes. You are handing over lands as per your wish to foreign Singapore and private companies. I do not wish to come (to the foundation ceremony) as a protest against your attitude and not to support you in this scam," Reddy said in an open letter to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

The Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly said he has come to know from media reports that he is going to be invited for the function.

The foundation stone for the AP's capital city Amaravathi would be laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 'Vijaya Dasami' on October 22.

The state government has said it is organising the event by sending out invitations to several VVIPs in the country and by involving farmers and common people across the state to promote a sense of belongingness with the capital city.

The YSRCP president mentioned several reasons in the open letter for him not attending the event.

He charged that the state government was building the capital by "snatching away multi-cropped and fertile land from farmers against their wish" for developing the city.

"Why Section 144 (of CrPC) and Section 30 is in force in the capital region? If people are happy, why these sections are in force? Why these prohibitory sections are being used for the last one year," he said.

The government is making "wasteful expenditure to the tune of Rs 400 crore" for a one-day event, he alleged.

Observing that his party is not against construction of capital city, Reddy said he is opposing the event as it has become a "real estate business". 

Taking exception to Jaganmohan Reddy's attack on the government, ruling TDP MLC S Chandramohan Reddy alleged that the Opposition Leader is behaving immaturely.

"The foundation stone for Andhra Pradesh capital Amaravati is going to be laid by none other than Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 22. The construction of Amaravati is the dream of five crore Andhra People. 33,000 acres has been pooled without a single incident in just one year time.”

"At such a historic occasion, it is strange that Jaganmohan Reddy writes an open letter to the Chief Minister saying that he need not be invited for the event and that he would not come even if invited," Chandramohan Reddy told reporters.

Asking the YSRCP president to make it clear whether he wanted construction of Amaravati or not, the TDP MLC alleged that the Opposition Leader's stance showed his lack of experience.

There is no truth in Jagan's allegation that lands for the capital city have been taken unauthorisedly, he said. Alleging that Jaganmohan Reddy's family comprising five members have palatial bungalows in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and also an estate spreading across hundreds of acres in native Kadapa district, the TDP MLC wondered why 5 crore Andhra people should not have 33,000 acres for the purpose of capital city.

He said only about 10,000 would be left for construction of capital, among the 33,000 acres, as farmers need to be returned land, among others.

Recalling that Telangana minister K T Rama Rao too has expressed his readiness to attend the foundation laying ceremony, Chandramohan Reddy wondered why should Jaganmohan Reddy choose to stay away from the event.