Even as the farmers of Amaravati have been strongly resisting the attempt of the YSR Congress party government to move the administrative capital of Andhra Pradesh to Visakhapatnam, chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy appears to be equally resolute in implementing his plan.
The anti-Jagan media, particularly Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy, have been going all out to fan the flames of the farmers’ agitation.
Both the dailies have dedicated more than half page for the pro-Amaravati stories and are dishing out stories to project the disadvantages of Visakhapatnam as the capital of Andhra Pradesh.
The Monday’s “Maha Padayatra” of Amaravati farmers from Thullur to Mandadam was the banner story in Eenadu and Andhra Jyothy with almost a similar headline. They sought to project it as a mother of all rallies in Amaravati.
Apart from continuing to highlight Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu’s outburst against the Jagan government, the two dailies have also started accounting every natural death in the villages into the “sacrifices” made by the farmers while taking up agitation to save Amaravati.
At the same time, Eenadu also prominently covered Jagan’s review meeting with officials in which he had instructed them to create more infrastructure facilities in Visakhapatnam, including tram facilities from Bhimili to R K Beach, underground pipeline to bring water from Polavaram to Visakhapatnam, etc. It clearly shows Jagan is hell bent on shifting the capital to Visakhapatnam.
The daily also tried to create an impression that Visakhapatnam is not a suitable place as the capital because of the long distance from various places like Rayalaseema and also south-coastal Andhra. The report says the decision would cause huge burden on the people who want to come to Secretariat and meet the chief ministers and other ministers.
Expectedly, Sakshi completely ignored the farmers’ rally in Amaravati at least on the front page and also Jagan’s review on Visakhapatnam. Instead, it carried the banner story on Jagan’s review on Amma Vodi scheme and his call to the officials to implement the scheme up to the saturation level.
His directions to the authorities to give exemption to the students from the mandatory 75 per cent attendance for the current academic year were carried by Sakshi as well as other dailies as well.
The nation-wide uproar on the attacks on students and faculty of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, the release of Srikakulam fishermen from Pakistan jail and announcement of schedule for Delhi elections were the other important stories that figured prominently on the front pages of leading dailies.