AP, T stand-off over Governor continues

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governments today continued to stick to their stand on Section 8 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, raising political temperatures in the two Telugu states.

Telangana DGP Anurag Sharma, meanwhile, met Governor E S L Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan in Hyderabad, which would remain as a common capital for the two states for a period not exceeding ten years; thereafter it would become a part and parcel of Telangana.

Under Section 8, in common capital area, the Governor shall have special responsibility for the security of life, liberty and property of all those who reside in the city and in discharge of the functions, the Governor shall, after consulting the Council of Ministers of the state of Telangana, exercise his individual judgement as to the action to be taken.

Even though the Telangana DGP downplayed the meeting, it assumes significance in the backdrop of demand by AP ministers, including Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, that the Governor takeover law and order in the capital by implementing the Section 8. This is routine meeting. No significance. We (police of both the states) always sit together and sort out if there any issues, Sharma told when his attention was drawn towards reported deployment of AP police forces at Naidu's residence in the capital city.

Ever since Revanth Reddy, the TDP MLA from Telangana, was arrested in the cash-for-vote case, the ruling party of AP is accusing the TRS government in Telangana of tapping the phone numbers of important people of AP, including the CM.

The allegation, however, was rubbished by the TRS government. Both the governments and the ruling parties in the two states have been engaged in a bitter war of words over the alleged cash-for-vote controversy, phone-tapping and construction of irrigation projects in last couple of weeks.

AP Minister Devineni Umamaheswar Rao said security of people in Hyderabad is the Governor's responsibility, which includes internal security and building allocations in Hyderabad. KCR (Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao) says Section 8 is invalid. If that is invalid does he say that AP Reorganisation Act is also invalid? Devineni questioned. Reacting to his statement, TRS MP K Kavitha said the TDP leaders are trying to convert the arrest of TDP MLA Revanth Reddy in cash-for-vote case, into an issue of two states.

 It is an issue of individual wherein a TDP leader was caught red-handed while trying to bribe an MLA during MLC election. The subsequent developments indicated that his leader was also involved. It is not fair to turn the issue into interstate issue, Kavitha told.

 There is no problem with regard to law and order in Hyderabad. Governor (ESL Narasimhan) is capable of solving differences between the two states, she said. The Raj Bhavan here has become a focal point with leaders and senior officials from both the states making a beeline in the wake of rising demand to implement Section 8 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 in the last few days.

Naidu and KCR have already met Narasimhan and voiced their opinions and concerns with regard to the implementation of Section 8. The Telangana Chief Minister met Narasimhan yesterday. Some TDP leaders alleged that the Governor was biased towards the TRS government.

PTI