Actor promises to support farmers if land is snatched

Jana Sena leader Pawan Kalyan has warned that he will sit in fast unto death if the Andhra Pradesh government tries to snatch farmlands through land acquisition.

Addressing farmers on Thursday during his visit to the proposed capital region, Kalyan criticised the way the Chandrababu Naidu government “is pooling land”.

“I do not understand why we need 33,000 acres for the capital. Cannot we do it in 8,000 acres?” he asked in Bethapudi, one of the riverfront villages, where his audiences were comprised of women farmers and villagers lured by his appeal as a film actor.

During the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections last year, Kalyan supported the TDP-BJP combine in the state and the Centre, endorsing their campaign of development and economic growth. “So far the (land pooling) process has been voluntary. I have no problems with that. (But) if the government tries to snatch land through the land acquisition (ordinance), please do not surrender (your land). I will stand by you,” he said, insisting that the capital city should not be built over  farmers’ tears.

“I was instrumental in bringing the TDP-BJP combine (to power) in the state. (So) their actions directly reflect on me. That is why I urge them not to play with the lives of farmers,” Kalyan said.

“Why build Singapore or Putrajaya here? Why not a functional capital that will not disrupt the livelihoods of tenant farmers and wage earners?” he asked. Calling on the law makers to fight for the special status for Andhra Pradesh, Kalyan said he will not visit Delhi with a begging bowl. “Enough of this begging,” he said.

In response, Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has defended plans to build a state-of-the-art capital city, which would help kick-start economic growth in the residual state.
“A capital can be built in just 1000 acres or (it) can go up to 30,000 acres. We have to bring in investment and then jobs for our youth,” Naidu explained, while addressing media here.

Naidu also said he is not sure of the context in which his star campaigner had made the observations.