Hyderabad: An intense political storm is brewing in Andhra Pradesh state following a non-bailable arrest warrant issued to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and 15 others by the Maharashtra police pertaining to a case registered against them in July 2010 for launching a protest against the construction of Babli Dam over River Godavari.
The Dharmabad Court of Maharashtra State issued the NBW against all the 16 persons following the reopening of a criminal case registered against on charges of violating prohibitory orders imposed near the Babli project site at Nanded/Dharmabad bordering the then erstwhile AP State.
The Congress regime was at the helm of affairs in both AP and Maharashtra States at that time. Chandrababu Naidu as then TDP Leader of Opposition in the AP Assembly was seriously concerned over Maharashtra Government taking up the Babli Dam construction on River Godavari claiming that it would affect the water needs of Sriramsagar Project and make as many as six districts, now in Telangana State, would become desert for want of water.
Chandrababu Naidu had raised the issued many a times in the Assembly during the then Congress Chief Minister K. Rosaiah’s regime and had declared that he would launch an agitation at the Babli site. Following the proposed threat to launch an agitation at the dam site, the Maharashtra Police imposed prohibitory orders in the area.
Bus loads of TDP leaders led by Chandrababu Naidu proceeded to the dam site as planned but were stopped at the border areas by the Maharashtra Police on July 19,2010. During the protest march trouble broke out between the police and TDP leaders leading a lathi charge in which many were injured. The TDP leaders were arrested and lodged in a police station at Nanded and later shifted to a technical institute premises.
The alleged ill-treatment meted out to them even made an emotionally surcharged Chandrababu Naidu to break down. He complained that the Maharashtra Police had treated them worst than “terrorists” and “beggars”. However following the intervention of then Chief Minister Rosaiah, who had spoken to his counter-part in Maharashtra, the police shifted the arrested TDP leaders from Dhanbad to Aurangabad and put them on a special flight to Hyderabad.
However the sudden and unexpected move of the Maharashtra Police for reopening an eight year old case and serving the NBW against Chandrababu Naidu and 15 others and too without serving a notice has triggered off a political controversy since BJP is in power in Maharashtra State.
Besides Chandrababu Naidu among those who were served with the NBW are two members of his present cabinet, MLAs and MLCs. Interestingly many among those leaders served with notices are now in TRS and Congress. Chandrababu Naidu along with his family members, including his son and minister Lokesh, were in Tirupati for Brahmotsavam celebrations on the auspicious occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi when informed reached him about the NBW.
Soon after a volley of charges began against the BJP for its alleged vendetta politics. While threatening to take on the BJP nation-wide on the issue by launching a mass movement, the TDP leaders wanted TRS Supremo and care-taker Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to taker up the matter serious with the BJP-led government at the centre since Chandrababu Naidu’s agitation was to protect the interests of the people of the districts now in Telangana state.
The Dharmabad Court has directed the concerned police to ensue that those served with the NBWs should be produced in the court on September 21. (NSS)
