In its battle of wits with Telangana, the Andhra Pradesh Government has started building its counter pressure by sending its top officials to New Delhi with what it says “evidence” of tapping of phone of the Chief Minister N Chanrababu Naidu and other leaders.
State Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao and the State Director General of Police JV Ramudu have reached New Delhi where they will present the material evidence before the Union Home Secretary to press their demand for a probe.
Krishna Rao met the Union Home Secretary this evening seeking Center’s intervention to ensure that Governor discharges his duty in accordance with Section 8 of AP State Reorganization Act.
The TDP as part of its campaign against the Telangana Rashtra Samiti was pressing for imposition of Section 8 and handing over the powers of law and order in Hyderabad to the Governor.
Earlier, in the morning DGP JV Ramudu met the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and discusses various measures the government and the police were planning to take against the Telagnana government and TRS leadership. Vem Narendra Reddy one of the suspects of cash for vote scam also met Naidu this morning. MP G Mohan Rao, who was likely to be questioned by the ACB also called on Naidu.
This has come even as the Telangana Anti Corruption Bureau was pressing ahead with its own probe in to the cash for vote scandal involving the leaders of Telugu Desam party. The ACB has asked TDP leader Vem Narendra Reddy to appear before it for a second round of questioning on Monday. It had let him go after five hours of questioning yesterday. As the time limit set for another TDP MlA S Venkat Veeraiah to appear before the ACB expired today, he was likely to be arrested by the investigating agency. He was among the suspects in the attempt to bribe a nominated MlA Elvis Stephenson.
Meanwhile Jerusalem Muttaiah, accused number four in the bribery case today got an interim relief from the Andhra Pradesh High Court. In his quash petition Muttaiah requested the court to get his name deleted from the FIR as he had nothing to do with the alleged bribing of the MlA. Admitting his petition the court issued notice to the ACB to file its counter by June 24. The court also restrained the agency from arresting him till the next hearing on the same day.
In the other counter measures by the Telugu Desam its two more MlAs Rajinder Reddy and Vivekananda today lodged a complaint with the Telangna Anti Corruption Bureau against Telangana Rashtra Samiti leaders. They alleged that the TRS leaders tried to lure the TDP MlAs by offering them lucrative posts and special packages for the development of their constituencies. They were also threatened with dire consequences if they did not join the TRS, the two MlAs alleged.
TDP leader in Telangana assembly E Dayakar Rao alleged that TDP leader Tummala Nageshwara Rao was also lured in to TRS by offering him a cabinet berth. “That is why soon after he joined the TRS he was made a minister”, he said.
Meanwhile Andhra Pradesh Police and Crime Investigation Department was expediting its own probe into the phone tapping of N Chandrababu Naidu. CID officials have taken over the FIRs booked against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. CID officials met Vijayawada police commissioner to discuss the case booked against KCR.