A non-bailable arrest warrant was issued by a Maharashtra court against Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and 14 others in a 2010 case related to an agitation against the Babli barrage on River Godavari. Police were asked to arrest them and produce them before the court at the next hearing on September 21.
The others against whom arrest warrants were issued include Naidu’s colleagues – irrigation minister D U Rao and social welfare minister G Kamalakar among others.
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had at that time organised protests over alleged illegal constructions of the Babli water project by the Maharashtra government. There were allegations that this would divert waters of River Godavari from the Telangana region of what was then undivided Andhra Pradesh and adversely affect people. Naidu was then leader of Opposition in the state and had entered the area surrounding the barrage (there were prohibition orders there) along with other agitators.
Protesters had been arrested, and released later. Naidu, who had refused to take bail, was sent to Hyderabad.
The arrest warrant has been issued by judicial first class magistrate of Dharmabad in Nanded district of Maharashtra based on a petition filed by a local resident. The orders came after a petitioner moved the court wanting to know why the arrest warrants hadn’t been executed.
Meanwhile, TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was “plotting the arrest warrant”. He said the BJP was targeting Naidu. Also, Naidu’s son and state Information Technology minister, N Lokesh said his father and other TDP leaders will appear before the court and were seeking legal opinion.
