AP CM dubs Chandrababu's protest as ''political stunt''

Hyderabad, May 14 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekara Reddy today dismissed as ''politically-motivated'' the stir by the opposition Telugu Desam Party(TDP) in New Delhi against the alleged illegal construction of the Babli project by the upper riparian state of Maharashtra.

''My Government has taken all legal and political steps to protect the interests of the state on the issue'', he maintained at the Pradesh Congress Plenum, organised to celebrate the Congress party's three years in office.

Dr Reddy said the TDP's agitation in Delhi was unnecessary and was aimed only at political mileage as the Supreme Court had already made it clear to Maharashtra against fixing of gates for the Babli project, which was affecting the natural flow of river Godavari.

The TDP had no moral right to speak on irrigation projects or agriculture after its President N Chandrababu Naidu dubbed farming as a ''mere waste'' and did not take up any major irrigation project, he alleged.

With a view to cheat the people, Mr Naidu had laid foundation stones for various irrigation projects and performed bhoomi poojas again and again without actually taking up the works, he alleged, adding that the Congressmen had planted trees near the foundations stones to expose the TDP.

Referring to the stirs by the TDP and the BJP against the 'skull and bones' logo on beedi packets, he said these parties were also responsible for passing legislation making mandatory the health logo without providing alternative employment to beedi workers.

Earlier, former Congress Legislature Party leader P Janardhan Reddy said the demonstration resorted to by his party was in protest against Mr Naidu's alleged failure to prevent Karnataka from increasing the height of the Almatti project across the river Krishna, even though the TDP had considerable strength in Parliament and Mr Naidu had commanding influence with the then BJP-led National Democratic Alliance(NDA) government at Centre.

UNI