Chandrababu Naidu changing Amaravati's definition to mislead people: YSRCP's Margani Bharat

Addressing the media at the party office in Rajamahendravaram, Bharat said Chandrababu had now begun claiming that Vijayawada and Guntur were part of Amaravati, though both cities were geographically separate from the capital region, according to a release.

He questioned how Amaravati could be equated with cities that were located away from the designated capital area. Unlike MAVIGAN, Amaravati neither had a population running into millions nor the infrastructure of ports, an international airport, railway stations, national highways, medical colleges and universities, he said. He added that MAVIGAN already had a population of over 4.5 million and world-class connectivity, making comparisons misleading.

Bharat also asked Chandrababu to disclose how much had actually been spent on the development of Vijayawada and Guntur during his seven years in office if they were indeed considered part of the capital region. He further said Machilipatnam, with its strategic port potential, should also be included in the State's development vision, the release said.

Throwing an open challenge to State Education Minister Nara Lokesh, Bharat said he was ready for a public debate on the alleged Mega DSC irregularities.

As per the release, he said Lokesh was free to choose the venue and time, and asserted that YSRCP would substantiate allegations relating to the DSC paper leak, the sports quota recruitment process and the role of an outsourced computer operator who allegedly secured the first rank. Bharat also demanded clarity from the State Government over reports that the proposed 10 GW Tata Power project for Nellore was being shifted to Odisha.

He urged the government to place the facts before the people instead of claiming credit for projects initiated during the previous YSRCP government. (ANI)