Hyderabad: Amid a raging row with Telangana over cash-for-vote scam, phone-tapping and special powers to governor, Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday withdrew 10 more platoons of police from Hyderabad.
On a request by his Andhra Pradesh counterpart, Telanganas' director general of police has issued orders relieving 200 policemen from their duties in Hyderabad, the common capital.
The Andhra government said it needed police personnel for deployment during Godavari 'pushkaralu' next month.
The move came amid growing tension between the two Telugu states over various issues including proposed special powers to governor in Hyderabad.
Andhra Pradesh has been demanding implementation of section 8 of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, which bestows special powers on the common governor to maintain law and order in Hyderabad.
Amid reports that the attorney general advised Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan to exercise his powers and monitor the probe into cash-for-vote scam, Telangana has threatened a mass movement against any such move.
The Andhra government last week withdrew 20 platoons of police deployed in the common capital. Labour Minister K. Atchan Naidu had said that the government is considering setting up police stations in Hyderabad to make its own arrangements for security to ministers, public representatives and key leaders.
Andhra's 45 platoons of police were continuing their services in Hyderabad after bifurcation of the state last year.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has already replaced his security personnel belonging to Telangana with their Andhra counterparts.
