Andhra Pradesh Formation Day remains a subject of political debate
The Telugu Desam Party government has discontinued official celebrations of the state's formation day, according to a report by India Today.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government has discontinued official celebrations for the formation of Andhra Pradesh on November 1, according to a report by India Today. While social media users shared posts to celebrate the occasion, there were no official events in the state capital Amaravati or the 28 district headquarters.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan of the Jana Sena Party (JSP) did not participate in the celebrations. This follows the previous Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) government, led by Jagan Mohan Reddy, which had resumed the tradition of observing the day.
Former chief secretary I.Y.R. Krishna Rao said it is a travesty that 55 million people have no day to commemorate the state's formation. He suggested that October 1 should be observed instead, noting that the present-day state is similar to the one existing from 1953 to 1956.
The YSRCP has described the decision to skip the celebrations as a disrespect to Potti Sriramulu, who died after a fast unto death in 1952 to create a separate Andhra state. Jagan Mohan Reddy greeted people and paid homage to the freedom fighter on the occasion.
The debate involves whether to observe November 1, marking the 1956 merger of Andhra and Telangana, or October 1, marking the 1953 creation of Andhra. Professor D.A.R. Subramanyam, chairman of the Navyandhra Intellectual Forum, argued that November 1 should continue to be recognised as the formation day.