Naidu steps up attack on TRS govt,Centre over data theft issue

Stepping up his tirade over the alleged data theft issue, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu Thursday called the Centre and the Telangana government economic terrorists and accused them of foisting cases and causing "mental torture".

Referring to the registration of case against an IT firm in Hyderabad for alleged theft of data of voters in Andhra Pradesh through a mobile app of ruling TDP, he termed it as a case against the state government and asserted he would protect the sovereign rights of his state.

Addressing a press conference here, Naidu alleged the Centre and the Telangana governments were striking at the economic roots.

"Both the Government of India and the Telangana government are working as terroristseconomic terrorists. They are causing mental torture and killing the leadership. This is atrocious...attacking persons, foisting cases, terrorising them... who gave you this authority? he asked.

Attacking his Telangana counterpart K Chandrasekhar Rao, the Naidu questioned what was his connection with Andhra Pradeh and how the case was registered.

...Why are you interfering? In what way you are concerned? You will come and threaten us. You stole our data and on top of it you file a case against our government! Under which Section (of law) did the Telangana government raid and file the case (against an IT firm in Hyderabad). Where are you going? Where is your government going, he asked.

The Andhra government had already made it clear that none of its information was lost, he said.

Asking why the Telangana government was having so much "love for me and our state", Naidu claimed Telangana owed Rs 5,000 crore to AP on power supply and had not given its properties (after the bifurcation).

Alleging that the Telangana Chief Minister was acting hand-in-glove with the YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, he asked if both of them wanted to "burn down" Andhra Pradesh.

What is your intention? Both of you want to burn down the state? I will not let that happen till my last breath. I will fight it out. No question of compromise, the TDP supremo asserted.

Stating that AP was an independent government, the Chief Minister said he would protect its sovereign rights.

Today Telangana, tomorrow Karnataka will do, Tamil Nadu will do, Odisha will do. What is your intention? If anybody files case against a state governmentwhere are we going? Where is the Constitution? Doing wrong things for political gains is not right, he added.

Claiming that he was working for a cause, Naidu said there was no blemish on him in his 40-year political career. Now they are slinging mud on me. Causing mental torture, he alleged.

Slamming Jaganmohan Reddy, he said the YSRC leader and JDU leader Prashanth Kishore "have descended on the state like dacoits."