VIJAYAWADA: Unlike the last four years, there were no traffic diversions on June 2 at Benz Circle in Vijayawada this year. Traffic movement continued without any interruption. On June 2 every year, the former TDP government used to observe ‘Nava Nirmana Deeksha’, but no such thing happened this time.
Like every day, vehicular traffic including heavy vehicles moving on NH-16 and NH-65 travelled through Vijayawada along Bandar Road and Eluru Road without any obstruction on Sunday. In the last four years, on June 2, the heavy vehicle used to be diverted, making the drivers of heavy vehicles clock more miles to reach their respective destinations.
In 2015, when the then CM N Chandrababu Naidu decided to conduct ‘Nava Nirmana Deeksha’ “to make the people partners in the development” of the State, he chose ‘Benz Circle’ in Vijayawada as the venue. June 2 is the day on which the erstwhile united Andhra Pradesh was bifurcated into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. While Telangana celebrates the day as the State Formation Day, the residuary State (read the TDP government) observed ‘Nava Nirmana Deeksha’ in the last four years.
On the day, from morning till afternoon, Benz Circle and the surroundings, which are normally busy with heavy traffic, used to transform into restricted zone due to the VVIP movement in view of the Nava Nirmana Deeksha. The entire area used to reverberate with slogans such as ‘injustice done to AP’ and ‘need to show the world, AP can progress ahead overcoming odds’.
In the subsequent three meetings at the same venue, there was no change in the speech and tone. The verbal lashing against the detractors of the TDP government increased, but at the same time, the number of people participating in the deeksha on that day had gradually decreased. The YSRC party, which was in the opposition at that time, kept away from the event. Further, it criticised Naidu for using the Nava Nirmana Deeksha platform to cover up his shortcomings and criticise his opponents.
On June 2 this year, the leaders of both the parties maintained silence and interestingly TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu confined himself to a tweet congratulating Telangana people on Telangana State Formation Day and wished that welfare and development will happen as they aspire.