Aurangabad, Mumbai: Four days after he landed in Maharashtra to inspect the Babhli dam site near Dharmabad and sought to whip up passions over the project, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu was finally packed off to Andhra Pradesh along with his supporters on Tuesday evening. His departure followed the withdrawal of cases against him by the state government.

In the end, it was a face-saver for both. Naidu had failed to make any significant impact back home with his politically motivated trip to Nanded and his subsequent arrest. The state government, too, seemed to have burnt its finger by acting unnecessarily tough and slapping cases against him and his supporters. On Monday evening, it had even decided to shift Naidu to Aurangabad’s Harsul prison after his magisterial custody was extended till July 26.

“I will return to Babhli dam to continue my agitation. The government of Maharashtra is illegally constructing the dam,” Naidu said before boarding the chartered plane amid high drama.
Earlier, he and his 66 supporters were transported in an air-conditioned Volvo luxury bus from Dharmabad to Aurangabad, 300km away. On arrival at Aurangabad, the convoy proceeded straight to the airport, surprising Naidu, who was expecting to be taken to the Harsul prison. Naidu and his group refused to board the plane for nearly 90 minutes before the police compelled him to board the plane.

At Dharmabad, Naidu had refused to board the police van and kicked it saying that he would not sit in the shabby vehicle as it was not befitting his status. The district administration then organised the luxury buses.

The TDP chief insisted that he would not return to Andhra Pradesh without visiting Babhli and accused the Maharashtra administration of using force against him.

Earlier in the day in Mumbai, home minister RR Patil started the process of withdrawing the cases filed by the state police at Dharmabad against Naidu. “We have taken the decision to withdraw all the cases against Naidu that led to his arrest. He is free to travel anywhere except the Babhli dam site,” he said. Patil justified the decision by saying, “For how many days should we keep him in the jail? After all it was a political agitation.”

Chief minister Ashok Chavan, who was in touch with his Andhra counterpart K Rosaiah, used mediators to talk to Naidu to break the impasse. “A senior leader in UPA, who is close to Naidu, impressed upon him that his agitation beyond a point was not going to serve any purpose.”

Aurangabad remained tense as activists of the Shiv Sena and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena held demonstrations outside the Harsul jail and shouted slogans in Telugu condemning Naidu.

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