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YSRCP holds rally
Apart from YSRC supporters, people from various walks of life, including NGOs, lawyers’ associations, public organisations, intellectual forums, writers and student associations along with the general public, participated in the rally
Hyderabad
The ruling YSR Congress party in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday put up a massive show of strength in the temple town of Tirupati in support of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s decision to form three capitals for the state.
Over 100,000 people under the banner of the Joint Action Committee for Decentralisation took out a rally in the name of “Rayalaseema Atma Gourava Maha Pradarshana” (great demonstration of the self-respect of Rayalseema).
The rally, taken out on the lines of Visakha Garjana (Roar of Visakhapatnam) held in the port city on October 15, witnessed the participants walking through the streets of Tirupati for a distance of 3 km from Krishnapuram Thana to Municipal Corporation office.
Apart from YSRC supporters, people from various walks of life, including NGOs, lawyers’ associations, public organisations, intellectual forums, writers and student associations along with the general public, participated in the rally. The march was led by Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and MP Dr M Gurumoorthy.
The people held placards and banners supporting the state government’s decision to form three capitals for a decentralised development. Many associations displayed placards thanking the chief minister for coming out with the proposal.
The lawyers’ associations welcomed the move to make Kurnool in the backward Rayalaseema region as the judicial capital, which they said would stand as a pillar of self-respect.
Addressing the gathering, Karunakar Reddy said the huge rally was a reflection of the aspirations of the people of Rayalaseema. “This is just the beginning. Development here is possible only with the establishment of a capital in Rayalaseema,” he said.
Tirupati MP Gurumoorthy appealed to the opposition parties to end politics over establishment of capital and heed to the demands of the public. “This rally is to put an end to selfish politicians who want to satisfy the demands of the real estate mafia and establish only a single capital. Rayalaseema has been discriminated against for a very long time and development is possible only with the establishment of a judicial capital here,” he said.
Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) chairman Y V Subba Reddy thanked the public for turning out in huge numbers. “Over a lakh people joined the rally today. YSRCP is a party of the people, for the people, by the people. The public is the real king. We will go out of our way to ensure that they get what they want. We promise to realise their aspirations,” he asserted.
President of Rayalaseema Intellectuals Forum Purushottam Reddy also extended their support for the formation of three capitals for a decentralised administration. Tirupati Mayor Dr Sirisha thanked the chief minister for focussing on Rayalaseema region by granting a judicial capital.
The Telugu Desam Party rejected the claim of the YSRCP leaders that development of Rayalaseema region was possible only through three capitals’ formation. “The YSRCP leaders have no moral right to talk about development or Rayalaseema. It was during the TDP regime that Rayalaseema had witnessed a lot of development,” TDP leader and former minister N Amarnath Reddy said.
He said the YSRCP leaders do not have any commitment on the Rayalaseema region except that they do not want Amaravathi to be the capital of the state.
