'Black day': Chandrababu Naidu detained as Andhra Pradesh gets three capitals

Former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu called it a 'black day' after the YCP government-led by Jagan Mohan Reddy passed the Capital shifting Bill in the state Assembly on Monday night. After a late-night debate, the House passed the Bill to give shape to its plan of having three capitals for the state, with the executive capital in Visakhapatnam, legislative capital in Amaravati and judicial capital in Kurnool, hours after Cabinet approved the move.

Opposing the Bill, Chandrababu Nadu said that there was not a single state in the world with three capitals. The TDP chief was detained outside the state assembly, as he wanted to go into the villages in Amravati. 17 MLAs of Chandrababu Naidu's party were suspended from the assembly for disrupting Chief Minister Reddy's address on the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020. A visibly irritated Reddy asked the Speaker to call in the House Marshals to evict the opposition members. Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath then moved a motion for the suspension of the 17 TDP MLAs, including deputy leaders K Atchannaidu and N China Rajappa. The motion was passed by voice vote.

The leader of Opposition leader, Chandrababu Naidu objecting to the Bill said, "Nowhere in the world for one state there are 3 capitals. Today is a black day, we wanted to save Amaravati & Andhra Pradesh. Not only me, throughout the state people are fighting and coming on roads. Govt is arresting everyone. It's bad for democracy."  The bill provides for dividing the state into various zones and establishing zonal planning and development boards. The village and (municipal) ward secretariats system that the government brought in October last year now gets statutory backing as it has been made part of the new bill.

The Andhra Pradesh Police took Naidu, along with other party leaders into a police van and dropped him to his residence on Monday night. The Police even lathi-charged against the 'Chalo Assembly' protesters. Meanwhile, TDP MLAs were suspended for storming into the well of the state Assembly. Even as the high drama was witnessed on the rear side of the complex, Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu led his TDP legislators on a foot march a few meters from the main entrance gate into the assembly. However, the TDP could not organise a siege of the assembly due to the deployment of a strong posse of the police force.

Decentralisation Bill passed

The Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020 was passed amid high-drama in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The bill provides for dividing the state into various zones and establishing zonal planning and development boards. The village and (municipal) ward secretariats system that the government brought in October last year now gets statutory backing as it has been made part of the new bill.

Moving the bill in the assembly on the first day of the extended winter session, Finance and Legislative Affairs Minister Buggana Rajendranath said the government decided to enact new legislation for decentralisation and inclusive development of all regions in the state for ensuring "balanced and inclusive growth".

(With PTI inputs)