Justifying the filing of a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court on Saturday, IT Minister Gudivada Amarnath said the aim was to initiate a discussion on the verdict given by the A.P. High Court earlier against the Acts pertaining to the three capitals.
Addressing the media here, Mr. Amarnath said there was a need for a discussion in the Supreme Court, as the verdict of the High Court was against the federal system.
He went on to say that the decision on the capital of the State was the prerogative of the State government and it was enshrined in the Constitution.
To say that the State government had no right to change the Acts was wrong, he said. “The Centre can have a say in the Executive, or on the administration of the State, but it has no right to speak on the proceedings of the elected State Legislature,” the Minister said.
As per Section 6 of the A.P. Reorganisation Act, the decision on the capital was to be based on a report filed by an expert committee, he said.
Both the Sivaramakrishna Committee and the G.N. Rao Committee had spoken about decentralisation, and the decision of having three capitals was based on the principles of decentralisation, said Mr. Amarnath.
He pointed out that the State government had time till 2024 to take up and address the issues of the farmers who had given land under a pooling scheme for building the capital in Amaravati. Moreover, the High Court had given judgment after the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Act was repealed by the government, the Minister said.
Stating that the SLP was filed to challenge the High Court’s verdict, he said the Sri Krishna Committee had also spoken negatively about the Hyderabad-centric development and it was the prime reason for the Telangana agitation.
Dig at Naidu
Coming down heavily on TDP national president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, he said the Maha Padayatra launched by the Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi was the brainchild of the opposition leader.
Mr. Naidu should take the blame should there be any violence during the padayatra, the Minister said.
