Visakhapatnam, March 19: Former Minister Gudivada Amarnath criticized the coalition government for systematically erasing the legacy of Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR), questioning why YSR’s name instills fear in the ruling alliance and whether renaming institutions will erase his contributions. He demanded the government and Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) reverse the renaming of the Visakhapatnam VDCA Cricket Stadium, previously named after YSR, and announced a YSRCP protest on March 20 at 10:00 AM near the stadium’s YSR statue.
Amarnath accused the government of prioritizing the elimination of the YSRCP and YSR brand over election promises, citing the demolition of YSR’s statues at Nagarjuna University and Vemuru (Bapatla), and the removal of his name from the Health University, Visakhapatnam stadium, Sitakonda’s YSR viewpoint, YSR district, Rythu Bharosa Kendras, and Tadigadapa Municipality. He noted that the 150-foot Ambedkar statue in Vijayawada, built under Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, also lost Jagan’s name. He stressed that while YSR’s name can be removed from structures, his legacy endures in people’s hearts.
Amarnath highlighted YSR’s reforms in education and healthcare, his support for the poor, and his leadership in undivided Andhra Pradesh. He clarified that the ACA, not the government, named the stadium after YSR under Gokaraju Gangaraju’s leadership post his demise, also erecting his statue. He accused the coalition of conspiring against YSR’s legacy and urged reconsideration ahead of IPL matches at the stadium, warning of consequences for their "stubbornness." He pointed out that while N. Chandrababu Naidu failed to name Krishna district after N.T. Rama Rao (NTR) in three terms, Jagan did so, exposing the coalition’s intolerance and governance failures.
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