Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to resolve the Babli row between Andhra Pradesh and Maharasthra by August 10 or face a major agitation by the TDP and its friendly parties. He blamed Dr. Singh of not having interest in settling the issue.
Mr. Naidu, who on Monday joined Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah in an all-party delegation here and met Dr. Singh to plead for the Centre's intervention, told journalists that both the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government and the Congress were responsible for the Maharashtra government's attitude in “illegally” constructing crest gates in Babli and 13 other project sites defying a Supreme Court direction.
“Why is he (Dr. Singh) silent? Yesterday's was the third representation that the parties from Andhra made to him on the issue in three years. Still he told the delegation that he would first talk to technical experts and see what could be done. He is not interested,” charged Mr. Naidu.
The TDP would give 15 days to the Centre and the Congress to resolve the issue. “Otherwise TDP along with like-minded parties will launch a mass agitation. The date is August 10,” he said.
Rosaiah blamed
Mr. Naidu also blamed Mr. Rosaiah of failing to protect the rights of the State and pursuing the contempt petition filed last year against Maharashtra government by the Andhra Pradesh government in the Supreme Court.
