Hyderabad: The Andhra Pradesh Secretariat on Tuesday witnessed hectic activity from the morning after a rumour spread that the Telangana Anti-Corruption Bureau was about to issue notices to CM N. Chandrababu Naidu in the cash-for-vote case. The basis of the news was the meeting of TS DGP Anurag Sharma and Hyderabad police commissioner Mahender Reddy with Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan.
The officials had actually gone to appraise the Governor regarding the AP police taking control of Mr Naidu’s security and that of a few other key people. However, the media made it seem as if the TS ACB had sought the Governor’s permission to issue notices. It was also mentioned that since the ACB cannot issue notices to a head of a government, it would serve it to Mr Naidu in his capacity as TD president.
Following the rumour, security was beefed up at the Forensic Lab, where the taped phone conversation is being examined, and also at the TD office and Mr Naidu’s residence.
A channel even went as far as to state that Mr Naidu could be arrested any time. Some other channels, branded as anti-TD, were also broadcasting news about the ACB “notices” to Mr Naidu.
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Mr Naidu swung into action and called up all available ministers at the Secretariat for an emergency meeting. Ministers Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Atchennaidu, Pulla Rao, Mrinalini, Ganta Srinivasa Rao and Ravela Kishore Babu rushed to the L Block of the Secretariat to meet the CM.
Union minister Sujana Chowdary, TD MPs Garikapati Mohana Rao and C.M. Ramesh were also present for a while. AP DGP J.V. Ramudu and IG (intelligence) Anuradha joined the meeting, which went on for three hours. Meanwhile news channels continued their live telecast, stating that “something extraordinary is happening and anything can happen at anytime”.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Mr Naidu met some officials and the DGP along with Mr Yanamala and Mr Sujana Chowdary. They reportedly discussed the issue regarding implementation of Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act.
There was also a flurry of activity at the Raj Bhavan. First it was the TS DGP and CP meeting the Governor over AP police’s presence in the city. Later, TS ACB chief A.K. Khan met him and reportedly appraised him on the progress of the phone conversation case.
It was then the turn of the AP DGP and CS to meet the Governor over implementation of Section 8 and phone tapping. The TD also started countering the TS government.
