Massive turnout as Kurnool reverberates with Rayalaseema garjana

KURNOOL: The 'High Court in Kurnool' is the right of Rayalaseema and therefore the government is committed to it, said Andhra Pradesh Minister for Finance and Planning Buggana Rajendranath on Monday. Supporting the State government's decentralisation approach, thousands of people took out a massive rally through the streets of Kurnool before participating in the Rayalaseema Garjana meeting held at the STBC grounds.

Addressing the gathering, Rajendranath Reddy slammed the TDP and its chief Chandrababu Naidu for neglecting the Rayalaseema region. He took jibes at the opposition leader for ignoring even his own constituency Kuppam. "Chandrababu Naidu, despite being the chief minister of the state in the past, could not develop Kuppam. The constituency was in fact developed by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy," he said.

He questioned the TDP chief as to why he was obstructing the High Court privilege to Rayalaseema. "The all-round development of the state can happen only through decentralisation," said the Minister.

"Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy is looking forward to balancing the three regions. Therefore, the state government proposed to make Kurnool, the judicial capital," said Deputy Chief Minister Amjad Basha. He criticised Chandrababu Naidu for neglecting the development of the Rayalaseema region. "It was Chandrababu Naidu only who betrayed the Rayalaseema people and deprived them of any opportunity of development," he claimed.

"Rayalaseema should be equally developed like the other areas. The residents of the region have the right to demand for a judicial capital," said YSRCP party Youth Wing President Byreddy Siddharth Reddy. The people of Rayalaseema had sacrificed their lands for the Srisailam project and therefore they deserve justice and equal opportunities, he felt.

The Rayalaseema Garjana held in Kurnool on Monday follows the Visakha Garjana, held a few weeks ago in Visakhapatnam, in support of YS Jaganmohan Reddy government's proposed decentralisation of administrative power. Like the Visakhapatnam programme, the Kurnool event too generated enough political buzz as leaders of the Joint Action Committee as well as the YSRCP party activists participated in the massive rally. Finance Minister Buggana Rajendranath spearheaded the preparations for the event, which also saw the active participation of advocates and students.