The war between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana states is turning ugly, every minute and security forces are being used to settle political disputes.
After cash for vote controversy, the issue of providing security at AP chief minister’s residence and the ministers’ quarters in the joint capital of Hyderabad is assuming dangerous proportions.
Andhra Pradesh chief secretary I Y R Krishna Rao and DGP, J V Ramudu have briefed governor E S L Narasimhan on AP Government’s decision to deploy its own police personnel for protection of ministers and other functionaries in Hyderabad.
The officials told Narasimhan that the Telangana policemen deployed to protect AP Government functionaries were acting like “informants”.
Going further three Naidu government ministers -- K Acchanaidu, Ravela Kishore Babu and Pratipati Pulla Rao have said that since the residuary state's leaders, officials and common residents fear for their personal security in joint capital, the TDP government has decided to set up its own police stations in Hyderabad.
The AP police had deployed its personnel at chief minister Chandrababu Naidu’s residence in Jubilee Hills even as Telangana police teams continued to guard the premises. While no AP police teams were deployed yet at the AP Ministers’ Quarters, a platoon of AP Special Police was deployed at NTR Trust Building -Telugu Desam party office headquarters.
Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh finance minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said his state police will issue a notice to Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for tapping phones if the latter's Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) does so against Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case.
An announcement of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the cases of phone-tapping registered against KCR in various Andhra Pradesh police stations was also made.
"There are about 87 cases registered against KCR in Andhra Pradesh. If they serve notice to Naidu, we will serve notice to the Telangana chief minister," Yanamala told the media. "For every action, there will be a reaction. If the Telangana government goes a step ahead in the Revanth Reddy case, we will also launch counter-action," the finance minister told TOI.
They claimed that the Andhra police has evidence that the Telangana government tapped the phones of 120 of its politicians, bureaucrats and police officers. They also challenged the Telangana chief minister to give a written statement that his government did not indulge in phone-tapping. "One the on hand, they say that some conversations have been taped. On the other, they insist they did not resort to phone-tapping. If it is the latter, how did their ACB get evidence of the conversations and how was it leaked to the media? Can the Telangana government give in writing that they have not tapped phones," the ministers challenged.