Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) chairperson R.K. Roja on Thursday faced the wrath of protesters outside the SRM University at Neerukonda village in Thullur mandal. Ms. Roja was returning from the University after attending an industry-academia meeting at the university.
A large of number of protesters, including women, gathered outside the university and surrounded Ms. Roja’s car demanding that she express her support to the agitation for retaining Amaravati as the Capital.
Taken aback by the sheer number of protesters, Ms. Roja sat in the car. Additional police forces were rushed but it took an hour for the police to reach the village.
Later, speaking to reporters at the party central party office, Ms. Roja alleged that the attack was orchestrated by the “cronies” of TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Stating that Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was committed to the welfare of the farmers in Amaravati region and hence increased the annuity from ₹2,500 to ₹5,000 and extended it to 15 years, she said there was no question of neglecting Amaravati as it would be the legislative capital of the State.
“Farmers should question the TDP leaders and former ministers Prathipati Pulla Rao, Narayana and Lokesh for betraying them with false promises. In all the five years of TDP rule, Naidu showed graphics to the public and constructed temporary buildings. If the protests continue, no investor will come forward to set up an institution in Amaravati. The public should remain calm and maintain peace,” she said.
She alleged that Mr. Naidu left the State with a debt of about ₹3 lakh crore. “It is evident that TDP leaders had grabbed over 4,000 acres of land in Amaravati alone. In the last five years, Mr. Naidu built only temporary offices with hundreds of crores and he is confined to 29 villages. Keeping all this in mind, the Chief Minister took up decentralisation to develop all 13 districts equally,” she said.
