There is no stipulation in the law that requires Andhra Pradesh to have only one capital, the Centre told the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Thursday in an affidavit that backs the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government’s three capital plan. In an affidavit filed by the Union Home Ministry, the Centre denied claims that a three-capital plan was a violation of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 that carved out a separate state of Telangana out of Andhra Pradesh.
The Home Ministry also informed the Andhra Pradesh High Court that the capital city of Andhra Pradesh is a matter to be decided by the state government and that the Union government has no role in it.
The BJP leaders like GVL Narasimha Rao and others already made it very clear that the union government does not interfere with the state subject and that it’s the prerogative of the state government.
In the affidavit, the Union Home Ministry contended that there was no mention in the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014, that Andhra Pradesh should have only one capital.
Further, the Union Home Ministry argued that there was nothing wrong if the Andhra Pradesh government’s move to create three capitals.
The Union Ministry also made it clear in its affidavit that it will provide all the necessary support in the creation of capitals. The state government is planning to set up administrative capital at Visakhapatnam, legislative capital at Amaravathi and judicial capital at Kurnool. The Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy once again said that he is committed to the three-capital theory.
“People with vested interests purchased lands from poor farmers at throwaway prices and then came to know about the state capital plans at Amaravathi. They made it like a real estate business”, said Jagan.
Opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu says he fights for one capital for one state. The state BJP leaders are by and large silent on this matter.
The State Unit Chief Somu Veerraju assures he will fight for the farmers and they should get justice but did not oppose the three-capital plan.