Jagan Mohan Reddy accuses Andhra Pradesh government of coercive land acquisition in Undavalli

YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the Andhra Pradesh government of forcibly acquiring farmland in Undavalli for Amaravati's development, alleging police excesses, destruction of crops and inadequate compensation while demanding that land acquisition proceed only with farmers' consent.

Hyderabad: The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has condemned the brutal and high-handed actions of the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led state government against farmers in Undavalli under the guise of developing Amaravati as the state capital.

The YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday on his X account that despite farmers clearly and unequivocally expressing their unwillingness to part with their lands — which are their sole source of livelihood — the government has refused to listen to their concerns or objections.

---

Instead of engaging in dialogue, the state administration deployed a large contingent of police personnel, sent bulldozers into agricultural fields, and destroyed standing crops.

Farmers were forcibly dragged out of their own fields, intimidated, and subjected to coercive tactics to seize their land, the YSRCP President said in the X post.

He warned the Chandrababu Naidu-led state government and said such inhuman and arbitrary measures are unacceptable in a democratic society.

“The majority of those affected are small and marginal farmers for whom these few acres represent their only means of sustenance. It is through these lands that they cultivate crops, educate their children, and support their families.”

Jagan Mohan Reddy in the X post said: “When farmers legitimately ask how they are expected to survive after losing their only source of income, the government has no answers. Instead, it resorts to police force to suppress their voices — a clear reflection of the authoritarian attitude of the Chandrababu Naidu government. The government has failed to address critical questions; What will happen to the investments farmers have already made in their crops? Who will compensate them for the destroyed produce? And what authority does the government have to destroy the very livelihoods of these families?”

“Thousands of acres of land were acquired earlier in the name of the capital city, yet even those farmers who voluntarily gave up their land have not received proper justice or support.”

He expressed his sympathy with the farmers and said that it is deeply disturbing that the state government is once again targeting farmers for additional land through coercive means.

“Proceeding with land acquisition without the consent of affected farmers, claiming that compensation has been “finalised on paper”, and failing to even inform them of the details is grossly unjust. These are not remote or low-value lands.”

Located barely minutes from Vijayawada, adjacent to the Chennai-Kolkata National Highway, and bordering the urban limits of Tadepalli, these highly valuable properties command premium market rates.

The government’s decision to impose arbitrarily low compensation and acquire them without farmers’ consent raises serious questions about whose interests are truly being served.

“After displacing farmers, to whom does the government intend to hand over these lands?” Reddy asked.

“The YSRCP will not remain silent while farmers are forcibly evicted, thrown onto the streets, and deprived of their dignity and livelihood,” he warned and demanded that voluntary consent must remain the foundation of any land acquisition.

“The use of police force, destruction of standing crops, and coercive seizure of land is completely unjustifiable.”

“We strongly warn the Chandrababu Naidu government to immediately halt all coercive land acquisition activities in the capital region. The government must provide full compensation for the destroyed crops without delay. Not a single cent of land should be acquired without the explicit consent of the farmers,” the YSRCP President said.

The YSRCP stands firmly with the farmers in their rightful struggle to protect their land and livelihood.