Jagan calls Amaravati resolution a drama to hide corruption

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy criticised the Andhra Pradesh Assembly resolution on Amaravati, calling it a drama to hide corruption. He questioned the Centre’s role, defended his three capitals policy and alleged diversion from governance issues

Amaravati: YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday criticised Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, dismissing the recent assembly resolution on Amaravati as a drama to mask “large-scale corruption” in the greenfield capital city.

His remarks come in the wake of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly recently passing a resolution requesting the Centre to accord legal status to Amaravati as the sole capital of the southern state.

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Addressing a press conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said, “Under the guise of wealth creation and vision, he (Naidu) gives several names and stages drama… He gives new names and diverts topics… Last week’s Assembly resolution (on Amaravati) is the latest act in that drama.”

The former CM argued that there is no concept of a capital for a state in the Constitution, and that a capital exists only for the country as a whole, while states have seats of governance.

“There is no concept of a capital for states. It is only for the country. States have seats of governance. Nobody should forget this.”

According to Reddy, the Centre has already noted that it was the state’s wish to choose its capital and even filed a counter-affidavit in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.

Recalling the creation of three new states – Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh – in 2001, he questioned the role of the Centre in determining their capital cities.

“How did they get their capitals? Did the Centre decide? Those states decided. So why does it apply to us (Andhra Pradesh) when it did not apply to anyone? Why this drama?” asked Reddy.

Alleging that Naidu is “diverting” people’s attention from his government’s alleged corruption, he said there was no need for an assembly resolution.

Naidu’s leadership is a “misfortune” for the state, he added.

Seeking to know why the Legislative Council was not convened for passing the resolution on Amaravati, the opposition party leader said it would have exposed Naidu’s alleged corruption.

Dismissing Naidu’s assertion that the capital law is now unchangeable, he said legislative bodies have the power to enact laws and can also amend them, including the Constitution.

Defending his previous ‘Three Capitals’ policy, he clarified that he was never against any region of the state.

“I never stripped Amaravati of its capital status and retained it as the legislative capital as part of the capital trifurcation plan during the previous YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024.”

Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the TDP.