'Defying'' Maharashtra fit case for President's rule: Naidu

Hyderabad, Apr 19 (UNI) Alleging that illegal construction of Babli and 15 other projects across the river Godavari by the Maharashtra Government was against the ''federal structure'' of the Constitution, Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu today demanded the Centre to invoke the provisions of Article 256 and 356 against the ''defiant'' Vilasrao Deshmukh Government.

''Maharashtra is the right case for invocation of Article 356 of the Constitution under rarest of rare circumstances,'' he said at a press conference here, ahead of the party's ''Mahadharna'' at the Sriramsagar Project site on April 24.

''First the Centre should issue a directive under Article 256 of the Constitution and if the Maharashtra Government refused to stop these illegal projects forthwith, it should clamp President's rule invoking Article 356,'' he demanded.

Welcoming Congress Parliamentary Party Deputy Leader G Venkatswamy for boldly urging Congress President Sonia Gandhi to remove the present Maharashtra Chief Minister for refusing to heed to the Centre's directive to stop the Babli project, he wanted the State Government to convene an all-party meeting and take the initiative at least now to stop the ''illegal'' projects.

He said he would hold talks with leaders of Left parties to intensify the stir against the inaction of the Congress Government in the State and the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the Centre.

''It is unfortunate that Ms Gandhi was allegedly intervening in the selection of the cabinet colleagues of Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, but keeping quiet even when the Congress Government in Maharashtra did not heed to the the Centre's directive and putting the future of farmers of Andhra Pradesh in jeopardy,'' he alleged, adding that the Union Ministers from the State had also failed to pressurise the Manmohan Singh Government.

''It is the duty of Ms Gandhi as head of the party ruling in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and also at the Centre to intervene,'' he maintained.

UNI