Former CJI NV Ramana claimed the previous YSRCP government filed criminal cases against his family members to pressure him into silence over his support for Amaravati as Andhra Pradesh’s sole capital.
Ramana revealed that judges upholding constitutional principles faced transfers, persecution, and collateral damage to their families during the 2019–2024 Amaravati farmers’ agitation.
He saluted the 1,000+ day farmers’ protest, crediting their struggle for sustaining Amaravati, and urged youth to draw inspiration from their integrity in defending rule of law.
Former Chief Justice of India (CJI) N.V. Ramana accused the previous YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in Andhra Pradesh of filing criminal cases against his family members as a deliberate tactic to "coerce" him into silence over his support for the Amaravati capital project. Speaking at the 5th convocation of VIT-AP University here, Ramana highlighted the intense political pressures faced by supporters of the farmers' movement, including members of the judiciary, during the contentious five-year struggle from 2019 to 2024.
"All of you present here know how my family was targeted and criminal cases were filed against them. All this was done only to coerce me," Ramana stated, drawing applause from the audience of students, faculty, and dignitaries. He emphasized that he was far from alone in enduring such intimidation: "During that difficult phase, all those who empathised with the cause of the farmers faced intimidation and coercion."
According to The Economic Times, the backdrop to Ramana's remarks is the prolonged farmers' agitation in Amaravati, the proposed greenfield capital of Andhra Pradesh. Under the earlier Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government led by N. Chandrababu Naidu, over 30,000 acres of farmland were voluntarily donated by local farmers in 2015-2016 to build a world-class capital city. However, when the YSRCP came to power in 2019 under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the administration announced a "three-capitals" formula—designating Visakhapatnam as the executive capital, Amaravati as the legislative capital, and Kurnool as the judicial capital—effectively diluting Amaravati's singular status. This move sparked widespread protests, with farmers camping on the streets for over 1,000 days, demanding the restoration of Amaravati as the sole capital.
Ramana, who hails from Andhra Pradesh and has deep roots in the region, positioned himself as a vocal supporter of the farmers' cause. "Present-day Amaravati owes its existence to the resilience of the farmers of this region. The city survives on the back of the farmers' struggle, one of the longest in southern India," he said, saluting their unyielding spirit. He lamented the lack of recognition from media and politicians: "Rarely the media or any politician ever spoken the truth or given real credit as to how the capital of Amaravati survived and sustained
