Defiant Naidu forcibly removed to Aurangabad
Nanded/Hyderabad: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu and his supporters were forcibly shifted from Dharmabad in Maharashtra's Nanded district to the Aurangabad Central Jail on Tuesday a day after rejecting a magistrate's suggestion to seek bail and return to Andhra Pradesh.
Naidu and TDP members were forcibly put into buses and driven away amid tight security as police lathicharged a crowd protesting their presence in Dharmabad.
The Maharashtra town has been tense after Naidu and his supporters, including TDP MPs and legislators, were arrested on Friday when they tried to proceed towards the Babli dam, which they allege Maharashtra is building illegally and would deprive Andhra Pradesh of its due share of Godavari waters. The crowd pelted stones at the police and the convoy carrying the TDP members. The crowd also attacked a CNN-IBN van and other journalists at the place.
Naidu and his colleagues, who were remanded to judicial custody till July 26, will be lodged at the Aurangabad Central Jail, located in Harsul on the outskirts of the historic city, a police official said.
Tight security has been deployed on the entire 350 km route from Nanded to Aurangabad Central Jail.
The TDP leaders are expected to reach Aurangabad in fleet of vehicles around 4 p.m., a police official said.
The leaders, including Naidu, had entered Dharmabad town to protest against the Babhali dam on the Godavari River on Friday.
They alleged that Maharashtra was building the dam illegally and this would deprive Andhra Pradesh of its due share of Godavari waters.
Following the extension of his remand, senior police officials requested Naidu to get up early to facilitate an early departure to Aurangabad due to security concerns as some organisations in Maharashtra had given a call for Nanded district shutdown Tuesday against the TDP leaders.
However, Naidu - lodged in Dharmabad Industrial Training Institute (ITI)- got up late and then further delayed departure to have breakfast, officials said.
Later, his agitated supporters, opposing his shifting from Dharmabad, attempted to surround the ITIbuilding, compelling police to cane them mildly. At least six legislators were allegedly injured.
The TDP chief then demanded an air-conditioned vehicle, which was finally arranged. Again, he refused to go to Aurangabad and demanded that he be allowed to remain in Dharmabad.
Finally the police and district officials forced Naidu and his colleagues to board waiting buses for the longjourney to Aurangabad.
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