With the agitation of Amaravati farmers in protest against the proposed shifting of administrative capital to Visakhapatnam gaining momentum, counter-rallies in support of decentralised administration have started in different parts of Andhra Pradesh.
It was obvious that these counter-rallies are being engineered by the YSR Congress party to turn the tables on the Telugu Desam Party which is spearheading the pro-Amaravati rallies.
In Visakhapatnam, minister Avanti Srinivas has led a big rally of party workers in Madhuravada and Kancherapalem areas. In Vizianagaram, too, the local YSRC leaders held a huge rally.
Obviously, the YSRC’s strategy is to send the message that the people of the state are by and large welcoming the decision of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Their objective is to project the agitation by Amaravati farmers as that of a particular community represented by TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu only to protect their real estate interests.
Since these rallies are being held by the ruling party, they naturally have the backing of the local police, unlike the rallies in Amaravati where the police denying permission to the protestors.
One does not know where these rallies and counter-rallies lead to, but it has certainly led to some kind of uneasy atmosphere in the state.
Obviously, Sakshi daily has carried a banner story on these counter-agitations. The story has sought to create an impression that except a few sections of people in Amaravati, the entire state is in favour of decentralised administration.
It says there have bene huge rallies all over the state by students and people’s organisations in favour of decentralisation and that they are angry with Chandrababu Naidu.
The daily has also carried the statement of the ministers constituting the high-power committee that the state government was looking at the all-round development of 13 districts and that they were working out an action plan for Amaravati as well.
On the other hand, the rival papers, Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy have taken a completely opposite stand and played up the intensified agitation of the Amaravati farmers.
Their banner stories are about the alleged high-handed behaviour of the police towards women of Amaravati, who were trying to go in procession to Kanaka Durga temple to represent their grievances to the Goddess.
Both the newspapers also gave a big coverage to Chandrababu Naidu’s rally in Eluru and Rajahmundry, where he sought to know whether the people of Visakhapatnam had ever demanded setting up of capital city there.
He asserted that the people of Visakhapatnam would never like to take away the livelihood of the farmers of Amaravati.
The personal appearance of Jagan in the CBI court in Hyderabad in connection with the quid pro quo case was also the prime news for Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy for obvious reasons. Sakshi conveniently ignored the same.
So is the report on Supreme Court’s judgement with regard to indiscrimination imposition of Section 144 by the governments without any compelling reason and that it would be subject to judicial scrutiny.
The appointment of four more judges for Andhra Pradesh high court was also given prominent coverage in the dailies.