Protesters took to the streets of Guntur villages to mark the completion of 600 days since the beginning of the agitations demanding that Amaravati be retained as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh. Protesters were from- Velagapudi, Thullur, and other village areas that come under the urban notified region of Amaravati were spotted wearing green scarves. These were used to signify the Amaravati demonstrations.
Police denied permission for the protesters that they had planned to lead a march from the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Nelapadu towards the Lakshmi Narasimha temple in Mangalagiri. The protests were organised by the Amaravati Protection Committee and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) to commemorate the 600th day of the ‘Save Amaravati’ agitations. Protesters were spotted striking barbed wire with wooden sticks which were placed up by police to impede their progress in several places. Bike rallies were held in a few areas to commemorate the event. Amid increased police presence, several protesters and TDP leaders were seen confronting police officers and arguing with them to allow the protest marches. Several TDP leaders, including MLC Nara Lokesh, objected to the government’s attempt to “foil peaceful protests.” While the YSRCP administration has designated Amaravati as the legislative capital, protesters claim that the trifurcation would effectively relocate the capital to Vizag, halting growth in the Amaravati district.
