Andhra feud with T’gana reaches Centre, Naidu heads to Delhi

The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday decided to seek Centre’s intervention in asking the Governor to exercise his powers in the common capital of Hyderabad with Telangana as it accused the dispensation in the newly-formed state of tapping phones of its ministers, MPs and officers.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu left for Delhi and is expected to meet the Prime Minister on Wednesday.

As the wrangling between the two states intensified, 50 FIRs were registered by Andhra Pradesh Police on Monday evening against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for alleged illegal tapping of phones of his Andhra counterpart.

On Tuesday, the Telangana Police conducted raids at the houses of TDP MLA Revanth Reddy and two others arrested in connection with cash-for-vote scam which triggered the entire row.

“The (AP) Director General of Police and Chief Secretary would go to Delhi tomorrow and meet the Union Cabinet Secretary, Home Secretary and others and hand over a representation, urging them to issue rules concerning section 8 (of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act),” said SP Finance Minister Y <g data-gr-id="27">Ramakrishnudu</g>, after a meeting of state cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Naidu.

As Governor ESL Narasimhan had not exercised his powers, Andhra government decided to ask him to exercise them, he said, adding that Cabinet passed a resolution to this effect. Hyderabad is the common capital of two <g data-gr-id="22">states</g> but Andhra Pradesh does not have executive powers in the city.

Naidu left for Delhi after the meeting. He is expected to meet PM, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The Telangana government was behaving as if it had all the powers and “personal liberty and security” of Andhra ministers and officials is at stake” as security personnel were under the control of Telangana, <g data-gr-id="25">Ramakrishnudu</g> said.