Maharashtra court issues warrant against AP CM Chandrababu Naidu and 15 others

An arrest warrant has been issued by Maharashtra's Dharmabad Court against Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, AP irrigation minister and 14 others, according to news agency ANI.

The warrant was issued in connection with an agitation held by TDP in 2010 against the Maharashtra governmentopposing the construction of Babhali project, the report further said.

The judicial first class magistrate of Dharmabad in Nanded district, N R Gajbhiye, issued the order, directing police to arrest all the accused and produce them in the court by September 21.

Naidu and others, then in the opposition in the united Andhra Pradesh, had been arrested and lodged in a jail in Pune in connection with the agitation staged by them near the Babli project site in Maharashtra, opposing it on the ground that it would affect the people downstream.

All were released later though they did not seek bail.

The court order, dated July 5 and supposed to be executed by August 16 but corrected to September 21, was issued on a petition filed by a Maharashtra resident.

TDP spokesperson Lanka Dinakar described the warrant as ''unfortunate'' and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah of conspiring against Naidu.

''It is unfortunate that an arrest warrant has been issued against Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu. It appears that there is some conspiracy by Narendra Modi and Amit Shah,'' added Dinakar.