BJP to protest against Babli project

Hyderabad, Apr 20 (UNI) Announcing plans to protest against the alleged illegal construction of the Babli project across the Godavari river by Maharashtra government, the BJP in Andhra Pradesh today demanded President A P J Abdul Kalam's intervention against the 'defiant' Maharashtra government.

Addressing a press conference here, pressing for the dismissal of the Vilasrao Deshmukh government, BJP General Secretary K Laxman demanded that the UPA should immediately act against the Maharashtra government.

BJP National Secretary N Indirasena Reddy would go on indefinite fast from April 23, and party activists would hold protests all over the state in support of the fasting leader, he said.

Addressing newspersons about the ongoing two-day state office bearers meeting, he said the party would launch a relentless struggle against the ruling Congress at the Centre, and in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradeshk till the project was halted.

The BJP wanted the Centre to immediately constitute the Inter-State Council under Article 262 and 263 of the Constitution as recommended by the Sarkaria Commission to find a solution to the riparian problem.

He accused the ruling Congress for fooling the people by calling for a Telangana bandh tomorrow and putting the public to inconvenience.

Instead of playing to the galleries, Pradesh Congress President K Keshava Rao and Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy should immediately seek the intervention of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to stop Maharashtra from going ahead with the project allegedly in defiance of the Centre's directive.

Finding fault with the Union Ministers of the state for keeping mum, he wanted them to shed their lethargy and take up the matter with the Prime Minister and also with Ms Gandhi.

UNI