While Maharashtra prevented the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, N. Chandrababu Naidu, from visiting Babli, Andhra Pradesh seems to have hit back by keeping Ministers from Maharashtra off its soil. A delegation from this State, which was slated to attend an e-governance conference in Hyderabad, was told to retreat at the last minute, fuelling speculation that the Babli issue could be the reason behind it.
And even as Maharashtra is under the impression that the meet has been postponed, Hyderabad is all set to inaugurate it on Friday.
“We were supposed to leave for the conference yesterday [Wednesday], but were told that it was postponed. Some of the participants found the dates inconvenient and some of the speakers dropped out at the last minute so it was doubtful as such if the conference would take place at all,” Sachin Ahir Minister of State (Housing), who had received an invitation for the programme, told The Hindu by telephone.
Eight Ministers and a group of MLAs were invited for the conference.
No confirmation
It is believed that the reason behind Andhra Pradesh's move was the opposition from the Telangana Rashtra Samiti to the visit. However, there is no official confirmation on it.
“The IT department was coordinating it. They told me yesterday that the conference was cancelled. I don't know the reason, but I will find out,” State Health Minister Suresh Shetty told The Hindu .
Accommodation denied?
Maharashtra Food and Civil Supplies Minister Anil Deshmukh reportedly said that the place where the Ministers were supposed to stay had refused them accommodation.
Last month, the Maharashtra government had used its might to force Mr. Naidu out of the State. The leader was arrested here in a bid to prevent him from visiting Babli. He was put on a flight back to Hyderabad after all the cases against him and his supporters were dropped.
