AP not to give police cover for I-T sleuths

Amaravati: In a significant development, the AP state cabinet has decided not to provide police protection to I-T department officials while they raid the residences of the Telugu Desam functionaries or sympathisers.

The cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu at Secretariat here on Friday, is understood to have felt that since the raids smacked of political vendetta, the state should not cooperate with the central agency by obliging its request for police protection.

When the issue came up for discussion in the cabinet, Naidu was in two minds on whether the state could turn down the request of the I-T department for police protection or play along but after the Law department made it clear that the state has the right to reject the request, Naidu is understood have decided against extending any cooperation to the I-T department.

The legal counsels apprised Naidu that when the central agencies made similar raids in Tamil Nadu, the TN government refused to play ball. The central agencies then had conducted raids with the help of the CRPF, the legal counselors apprised Naidu.

Naidu, who was upset with the Centre’s attitude towards the state, said that in its anxiety to settle political scores with AP, the BJP was scaring investors away from AP. 

“If investors get second thoughts, then it is the BJP which has to be blamed,” he is understood to have said. The BJP, Naidu reportedly commented, was doing it out of jealousy that the state was progressing though it closed all channels of help.

A minister on the condition of anonymity said: “We have decided to hit back at the Centre. The Prime Minister is misusing the central government’s investigative agencies for his political mileage. This is not the first time in the country. They used the same political tactics across the country, whenever there were elections. We are not afraid of this kind of bullying. We will fight in Supreme Court, if necessary.”

The ministers, at the cabinet meeting, felt that the IT raids have been going on against the leaders based on their caste, party and region. 
“We are seeing these raids as a deterrent to the development of the state,” Information and Public Relations Minister K Srinivasulu said, while briefing media persons on the decisions taken at the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet is also understood to have discussed the warrant issued against Naidu by Dharmabad court in Maharashtra that he should appear in person on or before Oct 15.

The warrant was issued in connection with a case pending before it against him for trying to lead a delegation to Babli in Maharashtra in 2010 to prevent the government from raising the project’s height contending that it was illegal and would harm the interests of the people of Telangana.