Hyderabad:
The action in the Chandrababu Naidu episode on Tuesday shifted to the Aurangabad airport, where after high drama, the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and his party men were flown out to Hyderabad.
The TDP legislators were refusing to board a 100-seater Air India plane arranged for them by the Maharashtra government and lying on the tarmac in protest.
At the airport, Shiv Sena workers also protested amid heavy police bandobast.
Four days after the TDP chief's arrest, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday dropped charges against him. Home Minister RR Patil said, "We had detained him for unlawful assembly in Dharmabad, there is no reason to keep him in custody endlessly." The former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister had been arrested for violating prohibitory orders in Dharmabad, Maharashtra. (
Read: After bus yatra, Chandrababu is arrested)
But Naidu was adamant that he will not go back without inspecting the Babhli Dam project, which he started off to do. As news came in that the Maharashtra government was withdrawing charges, Chandrababu Naidu told NDTV, "I won't go back till I visit Babhli Dam site. I will fight it out." (
Watch: Won't go back till I visit Babhli Dam site, says Naidu)
Naidu said he had "evidence Maharashtra is using our water. Maharashtra is building illegal projects, the Centre should intervene." He said Andhra Pradesh had been facing a water shortage for the past four years and the areas affected by the Maharashtra project would be desert soon.
In much of that area in Telangana, by-elections will also be held next week, on July 27. But the TDP leader took umbrage at his effort being called a political drama. And said he did not know why Maharashtra had arrested him - "I did not commit any crime... This is unfair in democracy."
On Tuesday morning, security guards had forced Chandrababu Naidu to leave Dharmabad for a jail in Aurangabad. Naidu was being transported in a private bus accompanied by four Maharashtra Police vans. TDP leaders allege that they were manhandled by the police and have filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). (
Read: NHRC seeks report from Maharashtra on 'ill-treatment' of Naidu)
That convoy drove straight to the airport instead of the Harsul jail where 10 police inspectors, 26 police sub-inspectors and 60 policemen were posted on duty. (
Read: At disputed Babhli Dam, fragile peace holds)
Naidu and several other leaders from his Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had been staying at a technical college in Dharmabad since they were arrested last week by the Maharashtra government for forcing their way across the border.
Naidu and 65 of his men insist that they must be allowed to inspect the Babhli Dam on the River Godavari - a source of much friction between Andhra and neighbouring Maharashtra.
Naidu alleges that Maharashtra is grabbing more than its fair share of water, and that this will adversely affect the farmers in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region. Not entirely coincidentally, Naidu's protest which began with a bus yatra to Maharashtra - comes days before Telangana votes for 12 assembly seats. (
Babhli Dam: 15 years of controversy, dispute)
On Monday, Naidu refused bail, stating, "We are honourable citizens. We are Telugu people who have strong self-respect. We were deceived by Maharashtra Police and illegally detained by them, that too in our territory in total violation of Constitution... we shall lay down our lives, if required, to protect the interests of our state but we shall never seek bail." (
Read: Chandrababu Naidu refuses bail)