Fight For Amaravati Farmers: Amit Shah Tells AP BJP Leaders

Union Home Minister and former national president of BJP, Amit Shah, has reiterated the national party’s stand on Amaravati. Making it very clear, Amit Shah asked the state BJP leaders to fight for the Amaravati farmers who have been protesting against AP state government’s decision to shift the capital. Amit Shah asked the state leaders, ‘what is the confusion?’. He said, “When the national party has taken a decision and passed a resolution supporting the protests of Amaravati farmers, then why the question of going back on it arises?

Shah has convened a high-level meeting with key leaders on Monday in Tirupati with party’s national general secretary Santosh, AP BJP president Somu Veerraju, MPs Sujana Chowdary, CM Ramesh, GVL Narasimha Rao, Purandheswari, Kanna Lakshminarayana, Sathya Kumar, Sunil Deodhar. During this meeting, a senior leader has raised the issue of Amaravati farmers’ protest and whether state BJP should be involved in it. Responding to this, Shah made aforementioned comments. However, another senior leader from the state intervened and told Shah that the opposition party (TDP) is behind the farmers’ protest. Shah has questioned back leaders whether the protesting people are ‘farmers’ or not. He asked whether they had given their lands to the previous government or not. “When the farmers are protesting, then what is wrong in supporting their cause? Participate in the padayatra of Amaravati farmers,” Amit Shah instructed state BJP leaders.

Amit Shah also asked the state leaders to corner the faults of the state government. He asked the party leaders to take people’s stand. Meanwhile, Shah has also addressed another key issue being faced in the state party. Responding to the joinings of leaders from other parties and their importance in the party, Shah made it clear, “Once they take BJP’s membership, they become BJP leaders. In no way, one can’t ignore them or keep them aside. In Uttar Pradesh, we have involved leaders who joined from other parties in cementing the party from the grassroots. Today, BJP is stronger in UP. In Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma has joined BJP from another party. Now, he has been made the state CM.”

Shah asked the state party leaders to stay united and take the fight against the wrongdoings of the state government. He told the party leaders to work towards making BJP an alternative force in Andhra Pradesh. He said that the Centre is not ‘looking down’ on AP. He said majority of the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act are delivered and assured that the balance of promises in AP Reorganisation Act would also be kept soon. Earlier, Amit Shah met BJP’s national secretary Santhosh, MPs Sujana Chowdary and CM Ramesh separately prior to this meeting.