Mumbai, July 20 (IANS) Apprehending a major law and order problem, the Maharashtra government Tuesday evening decided to drop all charges against Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and his supporters and ferry them back to Andhra Pradesh, a top official said.
District Collector Ajay Ghulane said the move comes following a recommendation by the state law and judiciary ministry.
‘The process to withdraw all charges against Naidu and 65 others is underway. Thereafter, they shall be sent back to Andhra Pradesh,’ Ghulane told IANS.
Official sources in Mumbai said the move was prompted by state-wide protests against Naidu and the TDP’s anti-Babli dam agitation. The TDP is protesting against the Babli dam being built by Maharashtra over the Godavari river, which Andhra Pradesh fears will curtail the flow of river water to the Telangana region.
The Maharashtra government is flying Naidu and his team back to Hyderabad in a special plane.
Naidu’s cavalcade left Dharmabad for Aurangabad, nearly 475 km away, with heavy security.
The cavalcade was greeted by protests, slogan-shouting, stone-pelting and black flags all along the route.
Earlier in the morning, some alleged TDP supporters entered into a scuffle with top police and civil officials.
The Shiv Sena and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena, in the meanwhile, adopted an aggressive stance and upped their anti-TDP stance.
Hundreds of activists from both parties squatted on the roads reading to the Harsul Central, on the outskirts of the historic city.
The issue has also rocked the Maharashtra legislature since the past two days.
