Amaravati (PTI): Former Chief Justice of India N V Ramana has said that cases were filed against his family members to "coerce" him.

Addressing the VIT-AP University 5th Convocation, Justice Ramana, without taking the previous YSRCP regime’s name, said even members of the judiciary who upheld the constitutional principles faced pressure and persecution. Families of judges who had no role became collateral to political organisations.

"All of you present, most 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, and I was not alone. During that difficult phase, all those who empathised with the cause of the farmers faced intimidation and coercion," he said on Saturday.

Justice Ramana was referring to the farmers' agitation against then YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government for scrapping Amaravati as the sole capital of Andhra Pradesh and espousing "three capitals" formula with Visakhapatnam being the Administrative capital, Amaravati-Legislative capital and Kurnool- Judicial capital.

In such times, when many political leaders hesitated to take a stance or remain silent, it was the jurists, lawyers, and the courts of this country who stood by their constitutional promise, he further said.

While governments may change, the courts and rule of law remain the anchor of stability. And the rule of law survives only when people repose their public trust, decline to surrender their integrity for convenience, he said.

"I salute the spirit of the farmers of Amaravati, who courageously withstood the forces of government mechanism. I draw a lot of inspiration from the farmers' struggle. I also thank them for reposing their trust on the judicial system and the democratic process," the former CJI said, recalling his association with Amaravati.

After Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu-led government took charge in Andhra Pradesh, the Amaravati capital project was revived, and the works are now progressing at a faster pace.