Amaravati, April 1 YSRCP leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy criticized Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday, dismissing the recent assembly resolution on Amaravati as a "drama" to mask the "large-scale corruption" in the new capital city.
His remarks came in the wake of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly recently passing a resolution requesting the Centre to grant legal status to Amaravati as the sole capital of the southern state.
Addressing a press conference at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said, "Under the guise of wealth creation and vision, he (Naidu) gives several names and stages drama... He gives new names and diverts attention... Last week's Assembly resolution (on Amaravati) is the latest act in that drama."
The former CM argued that there is no concept of a capital for a state in the Constitution, and that the capital exists only for the country as a whole, while states have seats of governance.
"There is no concept of a capital for states. It is only for the country. States have seats of governance. Nobody should forget this."
According to Reddy, the Centre has already noted that it was the state's wish to choose its capital and even filed a counter-affidavit in the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Recalling the creation of three new states – Jharkhand, Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh - back in 2001, he questioned the role of the Centre in determining their capital cities.
"How did they get the capitals? Did the Centre decide? Those states decided. So why does it apply to us (Andhra Pradesh) when it did not apply to anyone? Why this drama?" asked Reddy.
Alleging that Naidu is "diverting" people’s attention from his government’s alleged corruption, he opined that there was no need for an assembly resolution.
Naidu's leadership is a "misfortune" for the state, he added.
Seeking to know why the Legislative Council was not convened for passing the resolution on Amaravati, the opposition party leader said it would have exposed Naidu’s alleged corruption.
Dismissing Naidu’s assertion that the capital law is now unchangeable, he claimed that legislative bodies have the power to enact laws and they can also amend them, including the Constitution.
Defending his previous 'Three Capitals' policy, he clarified that he was never against any region of the state.
"I never stripped Amaravati of its capital status and retained it as the legislative capital as part of the capital trifurcation plan during the previous YSRCP government between 2019 and 2024."
Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the TDP.