*YSRCP vows legal fight for Amaravati farmers*

Tadepalli, July 13: Former Minister Ambati Rambabu said the YSRCP will stand firmly with every farmer affected by land acquisition in Amaravati and fight for justice in the courts. 

Speaking to the media after a meeting of the CRDA Farmers Protection Committee at the residence of Mangalagiri YSRCP Constituency Coordinator Donthireddy Vemareddy, he said the party would challenge every illegal action of the coalition government. Former Minister Perni Nani, MLC Monditoka Arun, YSRCP coordinators Donthireddy Vemareddy, Diamond Babu and Lella Appi Reddy, members of the party's Legal Cell and Amaravati farmers attended the meeting.

Ambati alleged that the government was forcibly taking away farmers' lands in the name of Amaravati capital development. He said the government deliberately carried out land acquisition on a Friday, knowing that courts would remain closed over the weekend, and deployed a large police force and bulldozers to destroy standing crops and take possession of fields. He alleged that officials started work on the land even before completing the mandatory legal procedures. He also accused the government and sections of the media of falsely portraying YSRCP as being against Amaravati whenever the party questioned these actions.

He alleged that there were serious violations in the land pooling process and accused the government of organised corruption. According to him, ordinary farmers were allotted plots in low-value areas, while leaders close to the TDP received plots in prime locations. He claimed that officials had become brokers, helping acquire land for the benefit of TDP leaders. He also questioned why farmers in Undavalli were being offered only Rs. 2.47 crore per acre when the market value was around Rs. 7 crore.

Ambati said YSRCP would continue to fight for every affected farmer and provide full legal support. He said the party's Legal Cell was ready to approach the Supreme Court if required. He asserted that the party would not remain silent in the face of what it described as government excesses and would continue its legal and democratic struggle until justice was delivered to Amaravati farmers.