Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

Withdraw support to Centre, Cong. MLAs tell Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD June 7. The Congress MLAs -- J.C.Diwakar Reddy and P.Venugopal Reddy -- and the Anantapur DCC president, Ananta Venkatarama Reddy, and the former MLA, Jagadish, have asked the Chief Minister, N.Chandrababu Naidu, to withdraw support to the NDA if he could not force the Centre to act in AP's favour in its disputes with Karnataka. Even the TD leaders of Anantapur have demanded the same, they reminded the Chief Minister.

Talking to reporters here on Saturday, they said instead of blaming the Congress for Paragodu, Mr.Naidu could as well put pressure on the BJP president, M.Venkaiah Naidu (who is elected to the Rajya Sabha from Karnataka) for protecting AP interests.

Urging the Chief Minister to stop playing "water politics'', they asked him to emulate his Tamil Nadu counterpart who could secure Centre's intervention in the Kaveri imbroglio. With his leverage Mr.Naidu could do a better job if only he was sincere, they said.

They said Mr.Naidu should set his house in order before pointing an accusing finger at others as it was, Paritala Ravi, a TD MLA who performed the puja for the Nagulamadaka project works. Even the Paragodu project was being constructed with 50 per cent Central assistance and was being executed by a central agency, they said.

They added that details of the Paragodu project were given to the AP Government at Hyderabad in October, 2001, at a tripartite meeting (AP, Maharashtra and Karnataka) attended by Central Government officials too, but Mr.Naidu did not raise objections then.

Solution to not only Paragodu but all contentious issues must be sought through diplomatic efforts or legal channel. They reiterated the call for an all party meeting to discuss all disputed irrigation projects.

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