Farmers in Amaravati, protesting against Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s proposal to shift the state capital, on Tuesday enforced a total road blockade in the region and vandalised the car of YSRCP legislator Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy as he was passing Guntur district’s Chinnakakani village.
Under Jagan’s proposal, Andhra will have three capitals — Visakhapatnam would become the executive capital, Amaravati will be the legislative capital, while Kurnool would be developed as the judicial capital, with the High Court shifted there.
The farmers’ protest, which has now reached its 21st day, was intensified, with demonstrators blocking roads and observing dharnas in all 29 villages which were declared part of the Amaravati capital region by the previous TDP government.
They also got into a scuffle with the personal security officers (PSOs) of Pinneli Ramakrishna Reddy and smashed the windshields of the MLA’s car. The PSOs and farmers then clashed, even as security and police personnel tried to push them away. Several farmers also lay down in front of the MLA’s vehicle, preventing it from leaving the scene for nearly half an hour.
A heavy contingent of police arrived later and escorted the MLA away.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu’s son N Lokesh Naidu was arrested as he was going to join the farmers’ protest. Guntur TDP MP Galla Jayadev was put under house arrest.