YSRCP playing politics over Amaravati: Atchanna

YSRCP playing politics over Amaravati: Atchanna

Vijayawada: Agriculture minister K Atchannaidu on Saturday accused the YSRCP of attempting to provoke Amaravati farmers for political mileage, alleging that the party was staging ‘dramas’ in the name of protecting farmers after having neglected the capital region during its tenure.

In a statement, the minister said the YSRCP had weakened the Amaravati capital project during its five-year rule and played with the lives of thousands of farmers who had voluntarily pooled their lands. He alleged that the same leaders were now trying to project themselves as protectors of Amaravati farmers, despite their earlier actions.

Atchannaidu said the people of Andhra Pradesh had not forgotten how the previous government allegedly suppressed the protests of Amaravati farmers. He claimed that this was the reason YSRCP leaders were facing public opposition wherever they visited. The minister alleged that the opposition was deliberately making provocative statements to test public patience and then portraying itself as a victim after facing resistance. Such politics had lost public support, he said.

Condemning the alleged attack on police personnel during the visit of YSRCP leaders to Amaravati, Atchannaidu termed the incident highly irresponsible. He expressed concern over injuries sustained by several police personnel and asserted that attacks on law enforcement officers had no place in a democratic society.

He accused the YSRCP of creating tension, provoking people and then attempting to derive political advantage from the resulting unrest. The people of Andhra Pradesh, he said, would no longer believe such “cheap politics.” The minister urged political parties to respect the sentiments of Amaravati farmers instead of using them for political purposes, adding that attempts to incite farmers for electoral gains would not succeed.