Andhra CM meets Modi, seeks probe into phone tapping

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi to demand a probe into alleged tapping of his phone by the Telangana government.

During an hour-long meeting, Naidu also demanded law and order powers for the governor in common capital Hyderabad to ensure effective implementation of thed Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

Naidu, whose Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, sought a thorough probe, party sources said.

Naidu, the TDP chief, also met Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Urban Development Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu, Finance Minister Arun Jaitely and BJP president Amit Shah.

The meetings came a day after Andhra Pradesh cabinet passed resolutions on phone-tapping and on implementation of Section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.
Meanwhile, the chief secretary and the director general of police of Andhra Pradesh also met union home secretary and submitted to0 him reports over phone-tapping and the reorganisation act.

An audio tape of Naidu's alleged telephonic conversation with Telangana's nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson in cash-for-vote scam was aired on some television channels on Sunday.

This triggered speculations that Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) may include Naidu as an accused in the case, in which his party's deputy leader in the Telangana assembly A. Revanth Reddy has already been caught red-handed.

The TDP government has alleged that the Telangana government tapped phones of Naidu, his cabinet colleagues, senior officials and party leaders.

Revanth Reddy and two others were arrested by the ACB on May 31 while offering Rs.50 lakh to Stephenson to make him vote for the TDP-BJP candidate in the Telangana legislative council elections.