Mumbai, July 20 (IANS) Maharashtra Tuesday evening decided to drop all charges against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and his supporters and send them back to Andhra Pradesh, a top official said.
District Collector Ajay Ghulane said the move follows a recommendation by the state law and judiciary ministry.
‘The process to withdraw all charges against Naidu and 65 others is currently underway and we hope to complete it in a couple of hours or so. Thereafter, arrangements shall be made to send them back to Andhra Pradesh,’ Ghulane told IANS.
Naidu and his supporters were arrested on Friday and sent to judicial custody in Nanded for flouting orders when they tried to inspect construction of the Babli dam being built by Maharashtra over Godavari river. Andhra Pradesh claims the dam will curtail flow of water to the Telangana region.
The water row has led to major tension in the two riverine states with widespread protests reported.
