In retaliation to the TDP’ attempt to put the blame on the BJP for Centre’s denial in according special category Status to AP, the saffron party is giving chief minister Naidu pinpricks over the ongoing land acquisition controversy in new capital development region in Guntur district.
The BJP has maintained honorable distance from the issue. It did not venture into defending the TDP’s attempt to build a world class capital when Janasena president Pawan Kalyan warned state government of serious consequences if it were to proceed on land acquisition, on Sunday.
The BJP leaders seems to have decided to adopt ‘wait and watch’ approach so that their party is not dragged into unwholesome controversy. While Andhra BJP leaders were silent, it was union minister Bandaru Dattatreya who pitched in to extend support to farmers’ rights.
“Acquiring lands for the construction of new capital is the State government’s responsibility. Hence, the TDP government should see that the farmers, who are surrendering their lands, are compensated adequately as per the Land Acquisition Act. They should also be rehabilitated at the earliest,” Bandaru Dattatreya said in Hyderabad.
He advised the TDP government against adopting hostile attitude towards the farmers, who are not able to reconcile to the fact that they are set to lose their multi-crop fertile agricultural lands for the sake of construction of the new capital in AP.
“The TDP government should try to convince the farmers to get their land willingly. The Centre is of the view that farmers should not suffer due to land acquisition. We want the State government to keep farmers interests in mind before taking away their lands,” Dattatreya said.
AP BJP leader Y Raghunadha Babu said though his party is in favor of constructing world class capital city for AP, it did not want the farmers to suffer.
“We would not keep calm, if the interests of the farmers are not taken care of while acquiring their lands for the capital city,” he warned when asked for a comment’
Talking to T-360 BJP state vice-president K Kapileswaraiah is also of the opinion that the TDP government should acquire only as much of land as is required for the construction of the capital city.
