Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, N. Chandrababu Naidu was on Saturday sent to two-day judicial custody after he refused bail on a personal bond. Mr. Naidu, who was on a visit to the disputed Babli barrage project on the Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh border was detained by the Maharashtra police in Nanded on Friday for violating prohibitory orders.
Sixty-five of his supporters were given the jail custody, Nanded Additional Superintendent of Police Shahji Umap told The Hindu over phone. He said there was no decision on which jail the TDP leader would be housed in.
Maharashtra Home Minister R.R. Patil told a press conference here that Mr. Naidu's visit was a political move made with an eye on the by-elections in Telangana. Mr. Patil took exception to the reportage in the Andhra press. “Facilities at the border are not up to the mark, but the police were putting in their best efforts to reduce the inconvenience to Mr. Naidu. It is difficult to house such a VIP in our prison, but Maharashtra would be a good host. Mr. Naidu is refusing the personal bond for his release. However, even if he says orally that he will go to Andhra Pradesh it will be our responsibility to send him there.”
Mr. Patil contended that Maharashtra had received less water from the Godavari river and its tributaries than its rightful share.
“The Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) awarded 40 per cent share of the water from Godavari and its tributaries to Maharashtra. The State received 1,089 TMC of water, amounting to 32.23 per cent. Andhra Pradesh was awarded 27 per cent share, but received 991 TMC of water, which is 29.33 per cent. Other states, like Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Orissa too got more than their allocations. Why should Maharashtra not fight for its rights? So far we were accommodating, but we won't deprive Vidarbha and Marathwada of even a drop of the water due to them. At the same time, we won't take a drop from any other State,” Mr. Patil said.
