What started as an alleged case of bribing of an MlA for his vote is now threatening to turn into a serious constitutional crisis between the two States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.
The cash-for-vote scam involving a Telugu Desam Party legislator, A Revanth Reddy, took a dramatic turn, sucking in Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu with the emergence of an audio tape of a conversation between him and nominated Anglo Indian MlA Elvis Stephenson.
In the audio tape, leaked on some of the Telugu TV channels on Sunday night, Naidu is heard assuring Stephenson of his full support. “I am with you in everything. We will honour whatever they said,” he says in the audio.
Even as the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), investigating the bribery case, was contemplating issuing a notice to Chandrababu Naidu on the basis of the audio tape as well as other evidence in its possession, the Andhra Pradesh Government went on a counter-offensive alleging illegal phone tapping of the AP Chief Minister. Several Ministers of Andhra Pradesh held Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao responsible for the conspiracy against Chandrababu Naidu.
AK Khan, Director-General, ACB held a meeting with the Investigating Officer of the case. Sources said that the agency was analysing the evidence available to decide its future course of action on issuing a notice to Naidu.
In an indication of the thinking of the TRS Government on the issue Finance Minister E Rajinder said that there was no escape route for Chandrababu Naidu as the audiotape shows his involvement in the cash-for-vote case. “In the eyes of the law everybody is equal,” he said.
Describing Naidu as the main brain behind the case, he said that without his orders a TDP MlA would not have tried to bribe a nominated MlA of Telangana.
However, even in case of the ACB issuing a notice to Chandrababu Naidu, his arrest was unlikely as he enjoys constitutional safeguards and his prosecution will require the Governor's sanction. However, he will come under political and moral pressure in case his name is included among the accused.
However, the TDP was also unlikely to take things lying down. It was planning to lodge a formal complaint with the Governor and the Center against the Telangana Government alleging tapping of the phone of Chief Minister Naidu in violation of the Telegraph Act. “This is a conspiracy to insult and humiliate not only the Chief Minister but the five crore people of Andhra Pradesh,” said Information Minister Palle Raghunatha Reddy.
Prakala Prabhakar, Advisor (Communication) to AP Chief Minister strongly denied any link of Chandrababu Naidu to the reported phone conversation. He denied that it was Chandrababu's voice on the audio tape. “It is fabricated”, he said.
He questioned how this audio tape became public when the entire evidence in the case was handed over to the court. “Telangana Government has to give an answer to this. Telangana CM and the Home Minister should give an answer,” he said. He added that it was an attempt to defame and damage Naidu's image.
Speaking to the media outside the Chief Minister's residence late on Sunday night, Prabhakar charged the Telangana Chief Minister with playing cheap and dirty tricks to mislead the people of Andhra Pradesh.
With both the sides pulling out all stops to target each other in the same city, the atmosphere in Hyderabad was surcharged and the air was thick with rumors. The sudden turn of the events spoiled the party for Chandrababu Naidu on the completion of one year of his rule on Monday.
The developments in Hyderabad have sent a wave of anger and anxiety across Andhra Pradesh with several supporters of Naidu slapping cases against the Telangana Chief Minister. Many police stations from Visakhapatanam to Chittoor have registered FIRs against KCR for allegedly defaming Naidu and Andhra Pradesh and violating the basic rights of Naidu.
One such case was registered at the III Town Police station of Visakhpatanam on a complaint by assistant public prosecutor NVV Prasad. The complainant alleged that the Chief Minister and TRS Government were deliberately snooping on TDP members and tarnishing the image of Naidu by tapping his phone.
TDP workers also held protest demonstration across the State. Krishna Yadav, TDP Hyderabad unit president lodged a complaint with the National Human Right Commission against KCR and demanded a thorough probe into his actions.
Another Andhra Pradesh Minister Kamineni Srinvas, who belongs to the BJP, said that he will lodge a complaint with Prime Minister Modi against the conspiracies of KCR.