The Andhra Pradesh high court on Friday reserved its judgment on the Amaravati padayatra to Arasavilli in Srikakulam. The padayatra was stopped in Ramachandrapuram of Dr B R Ambedkar Konaseema district last week, as the police insisted upon those who have identification cards only to participate in the padayatra.
The farmers have filed a petition in the high court seeking relaxation from the rules, while the State government filed a petition seeking cancellation of permission for the padayatra.
The court heard the case on both sides on Thursday and Friday.
The advocates for the Amaravati activists alleged that the police were harassing them in the name of identification cards and were not allowing the supporters to join the padayatra. The Amaravati activists also alleged that the ruling YSR Congress activists and leaders were also causing troubles for them by organising counter rallies in the state.
On the other hand, the government argued for cancellation of the padayatra. The Advocate General told the court that the activists of the TDP and Jana Sena, in the name of Amaravati farmers, were making allegations against the ruling party and the government. The advocate general also told the court that the activists were challenging the ruling party leaders and making political statements.
Though the court had told the Amaravati Joint Action Committee leaders not to make political statements during the padayatra, the advocate general informed the court that everyday they were making only political statements and asking people to vote against the YSR Congress.
The advocate general also informed the court that the people of the state were also asking for decentralisation of capital and Uttarandhra people were fighting for declaration of Visakhapatnam as the executive capital.
This would create a law-and-order problem if the Amaravati activists entered Visakhapatnam with Amaravati as the only capital of the state, while the people of Visakhapatnam were fighting for executive capital.
The court, after hearing the arguments from both sides on Friday, reserved the judgment.
