Withdraw orders on powers to governor: Telangana CM

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to immediately withdraw the instructions by union home ministry to vest control of Hyderabad's law and order in the governor.

In a letter to the prime minister, he said he was greatly disturbed over a communication received from the ministry Friday prescribing intrusive norms.

"These norms go to the extent of asking the state government to follow certain procedure even in the posting of station house officers and ACPs and DCPs in Hyderabad," the chief minister said in the letter, the copies of which were released to media Saturday night.

KCR, as the chief minister is popularly known, sent the letter to Modi hours after Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma wrote back to the union home ministry, rejecting its instructions regarding powers and functioning of governor under Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act.

KCR said as per constitution, governor has to function on the advise of the council of ministers of the state.

"In the same way, section 8(3) of Andhra Pradesh State Reorganisation Act clearly mentions that in discharge of the functions, the governor shall after consulting the council of ministers of the state of Telangana, exercise his individual judgement as to the action to be taken," he wrote.

"Any attempt to micro-manage the administration through the governor, bypassing the council of ministers of Telangana, is a direct affront to the federal polity of our country," the chief minister said.

"I am sure this communication has been sent by the union home ministry without your approval and therefore appeal to you to look into the matter and order that these instructions be rescinded forthwith in accordance with the democratic traditions and conventions of our federal structure," KCR added.

Earlier, a statement from the Chief Minister's Office said the government rejected the central government's suggestion to entrust special responsibilities to the governor. The chief secretary wrote a letter to the union home ministry, making it clear that the norms suggested by it can't be implemented.