The ongoing Amaravati to Arasavilli padayatra by the farmers of the capital region seeking support to their demand for retention of the capital city of Andhra Pradesh at Amaravati has been going on smoothly as of now, despite strong comments from the YSR Congress party leaders and state ministers.
Except YSRCP, all the other opposition parties have extended support to the Amaravati farmers. In the wake of the high court directions, the police have been tight security arrangements for the padayatra.
The police have apparently got clear instructions that if the farmers violate even a single rule, they should be taken into custody and padayatra should be stopped forthwith.
So far, the farmers are maintaining a lot of restraint. When the police have asked them to change their padayatra route in Guntur district because it passes through the area where YSRC leaders are staying, they changed the route without much resistance.
According to reports from New Delhi, the Central intelligence department has been asked to keep a surveillance on the padayatra of the Amaravati farmers and send reports to the Centre from time to time.
The intelligence sleuths have been watching the course of padayatra, the slogans being raised by them and whether there were any provocative statements from the YSRC leaders.
They are also keenly observing whether there are any attempts by the ruling party leaders to disrupt the yatra or inciting any violence during their course, so as to create law and order problems, forcing the state government to withdraw permission to continue it immediately.
“As of now, there are no such indications. But if the yatra reaches north coastal Andhra, particularly Visakhapatnam, there might be some trouble. The Centre is keenly observing the developments,” a source in the national capital said.
The central intelligence department is also anticipating trouble, if the Jagan Mohan Reddy government introduces a fresh legislation on three capitals in the state legislative assembly.
The lawyers of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi are ready with their petitions in the event of any such development, sources said.