HYDERABAD: On a day when AP ministers launched a vitrolic attack against the Telangana government for seeking to issue notices to their Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case, the TRS too retaliated in equal measure.
The TRS leaders contended that the situation in Hyderabad does not warrant invoking Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act, which empowers the Governor to look after law and order in the common capital, and asserted that no one can save Chandrababu Naidu.
Speaking to reporters in Delhi on Tuesday, TRS MP B Vinod Kumar alleged that Naidu wanted Section 8 to be invoked only ‘to be free to indulge in corruption.’
“There was no single incident of violence against people from AP settled in Hyderabad and no report of damaging their assets. The situation does not warrant Section 8,’’ Vinod Kumar said and added the Centre would not invoke the Section at all.
The AP Reorganisation Act was clear that the Governor should take the opinion of the Council of Ministers of Telangana before taking any decision on law and order situation in Hyderabad, he argued and observed, “The Governor may take his individual decision only, when he thinks the decision of the council of ministers of TS is not correct.”
He claimed people in Telangana were worried about their safety after the remarks by Naidu and his cabinet colleagues. “AP Minister Pulla Rao says the TRS government will collapse. Another Minister Atchannaidu says they have no business to topple the TRS government,” Vinod Kumar said and added AP ministers lacked clarity on Section 8. The headquarters of the ACB of AP could be in Hyderabad, but it does not have jurisdiction over Hyderabad, he pointed out.
Another TRS leader S Venugopalachary wondered why TDP president Naidu did not expel MLA A Revanth Reddy from the party in the wake of the cash-for-vote case. “The voice in audio tapes is that of Naidu. But, Naidu neither denied nor accepted the fact. Has Revanth Reddy blackmailed Naidu not to take action?,” Venugopalachary questioned.
On Naidu deploying AP police at his residence, he said it was nothing but creating a rift between the police of the two states. Meanwhile, speaking at a programme at Pallegudem in Khammam rural, Telangana irrigation minister T Harish Rao said the government had enough evidence to nail Naidu. “No one can save Naidu,’’ he said adding the TDP government in AP should be sacked as it had violated the Constitution. “How can Naidu insult the Governor?’’ Harish Rao questioned and said Naidu was trying to wriggle himself out of the case by making false claims.
