Amaravati farmers march braving intermittent rain

Raghavulu dares Jagan to order referendum on three capitals

Undeterred by rain, farmers from Amaravati continued their long march to Tirupati seeking divine intervention for retaining Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh.

Walking in tandem with the farmers on the 17th day of the long march for some distance as an expression of solidarity, Communist Party of India (Marxist) polit bureau member B.V. Raghavulu challenged the YSR Congress Party government to order a referendum on its three capital policy. “'Let the people decide whether they want capital at one place or three different places,” he said.

“'The interest of the people and the State should be paramount and not that of political parties,” he asserted drawing loud cheers from the farmers who resumed their “court to temple Mahapadayatra” from Kandukur town to Gudlur, and covered a distance of 16 km. “Utter confusion will only prevail if a decision taken by one government is reversed by the government that succeeds,” he opined.