Tourism Minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao on Tuesday accused TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu of shedding crocodile tears for the farmers of the 29 villages in the Amaravati Capital region.
He was speaking at the New Year celebrations at the party office here in the presence of Gajuwaka MLA Tippala Nagi Reddy, VMRDA Chairman Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao, and YSRCP women’s wing city president G. Gowri.
Asking Mr. Naidu and his partymen to clarify whether they were in favour of developing the backward north Andhra region by making Visakhapatnam the Executive capital or not, the Minister alleged that the TDP leaders were also not interested in the development of Rayalaseema by making Kurnool the Judicial capital.
Justifying the three-Capital idea floated by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to ensure decentralised development, the Minister said that none in the party had stated that Amaravati would be shifted. He said Amaravati would continue to be the Legislative capital as per the recommendations of the G.N. Rao Committee.
‘TDP lost its credibility’
He said the farmers of Amaravati should not fall into the trap being laid by Mr. Naidu due to his vested interests. He said the TDP, due to Mr. Naidu’s “dirty politics,” had lost its credibility. It had closed down its unit in Telangana and forfeited its status as a national party, the Minister added.
He asked partymen to cut down their expenses on the New Year celebrations and use the amount thus saved for charity.
