Naidu meets PM amid slugfest over cash-for-vote scam

As the slanging match between ruling parties in Andhra Pradesh and Telengana sparked by 'cash-for-vote' scam continued unabated, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking that the Centre issues guidelines to the Governor on law and order in Hyderabad.

Naidu met Modi in the national Capital a day after his government decided to urge the Centre to issue guidelines on section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act that confers special powers on the Governor, in-charge of both the states, with regard to law and order in Hyderabad, the common capital.

Governor ESL Narasimhan, the common Governor of AP and Telangana post-bifurcation, is also in Delhi.

In a relief to TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy, whose arrest in the cash-for-vote case has snowballed into a grim row involving the two neighbours, got an interim bail for a day to attend his daughter's engagement ceremony on Thursday.

Reddy was arrested on May 31, along with two others, for allegedly trying to bribe a nominated MLA to vote for TDP nominee in the Telangana Legislative Council elections.

Targeting Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), which is in power in Telengana, AP Labour Minister K Atchannaidu said the TDP government would no longer tolerate "irregularities and insults" by the Telangana government.

"The division (of composite Andhra Pradesh) happened. We waited patiently for one year in the interest of the unity of Telugu people, though we were insulted. But we cannot remain patient any more," he said.

He added: "We have the details of your irregularities, not just after coming to power, but before coming to power...what the individuals in your party (TRS) did. We will reveal them one by one whenever necessary...if you go one step ahead, we will have to go 100 steps. So, at least now, I request you to stop vindictive actions and come forward for development," he said.

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Y Ramakrishnudu had on Tuesday alleged that some 120 tapes of ministers from his state, important leaders, officials and MPs had been recorded by the Telangana government and the Centre should conduct an inquiry.

Hitting back at Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders, Telangana Panchayat Raj Minister KT Rama Rao, son of Chief Minister and TRS supremo K Chandrasekhar Rao, alleged that Naidu was trying to "escape by taking cover under people  of Andhra Pradesh".

"It would not help if you go to Delhi and touch the feet of some people and plead protection. Law is the same for all in this country. Law is not the relative of anyone. Not a relative of Prime Minister, Chief Minister, any minister," he said.

Seizing on the TDP-TRS slugfest, deputy leader of the Congress in Telengana Assembly, T Jeevan Reddy, urged President Pranab Mukherjee to order a CBI probe into the defections in Telangana to "arrest the fast deterioration of constitutional values".

In a letter to the President, he accused Rao of "embarking on open and brazen acts of encouraging defections of MLAs and MLCs from Congress, TDP and other parties."

The Congress leader did not spare Naidu either charging him with encouraging defections.

"The only difference between K Chandrashekhar Rao and Chandrababu Naidu is that the latter is caught on tape while KCR is perfect at camouflaging his acts," he said, demanding "a thorough enquiry" into the whole scam.