The Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi (APS) filed a Writ Petition (WP) in the High Court (HC) seeking permission for the Maha Padayatra proposed to be taken out from Amaravati to Arasavalli in Srikakulam district from September 12.
It sought a direction to the Director General of Police and Superintendents of Police of 16 districts to give clearance for the long march which is intended to mount pressure on the government to complete the constructions and infrastructure creation in Amaravati as ordered by the HC on March 3, 2022.
APS secretary Gadde Tirupati Rao contended that the inaction of the respondents in not giving permission for the Maha Padayatra was in violation of Articles 14 and 19 of the Constitution. Permission for the long march had been applied under Section 30 (2) of The Police Act, 1861, but there had been no response so far.
The yatra has been planned from the Venkateswara Swamy temple at Venkatapalem to Arasavalli known for its Suryanarayana Swamy temple from September 12 to November 11 to get justice done for the thousands of farmers who gave their lands for the development of Amaravati as the capital city.
It may be recalled that there were restrictions during the 45-day-long Nyayasthanam (A.P. High Court) to Devasthanam (Tirumala temple) Padayatra which the farmers took out last year in order to impress upon the government to give up the concept of multiple capitals.
The crux of the whole issue is the allegation that by abandoning the Amaravati project the government has not only deprived the farmers of their livelihood but also maligning the sacrifices made by them.
They said the government had not changed its mind even after the HC had ruled that the State had no legislative competence to split, bifurcate or even trifurcate the capital and Amaravati should be developed as the capital city, for which it laid specific timelines.
