Maintain status quo with Sec 8, Centre tells Governor

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government has decided to maintain status quo on the controversial Section 8 of the AP Reorganisation Act and felt that there is no need to issue any notification regarding its implementation. This was made clear by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and top officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs to Governor E S L Narasimhan, who met them in New Delhi on Friday. They advised him to go cautiously in the cash-for-vote scandal and leave the matter to the investigating agencies for its logical conclusion.

At the same time, he should take steps to see that the issue does not escalate further tensions between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana States. Sources said the Centre extended its full support to Narasimhan in dealing with the cash-for-vote scam diligently and prevent the two Telugu States from being at loggerheads. It clarified that Section 8 of APRA was already in vogue and the Governor has enough powers to deal with any situation under the section.

Narasimhan, who reached New Delhi on Thursday evening on a call from the MHA, met Union Home Secretary L C Goyal and other senior officials of the MHA. He apprised them of the developments unfolding in the wake of the cash-for-vote scandal leading to the arrest of TDP MLA A Revanth Reddy and two others. He is also understood to have apprised the MHA officials about the ACB probe into the scam.

He brought to the notice of the MHA officials the raging controversy surrounding the demand by the AP State and T-TDP leaders for invoking Section 8 of the AP



Reorganisation Act. In this context, Narasimhan also brought to the notice of the MHA the tirade being launched by the TDP leaders, including the AP ministers against him and accusing him of being acting in a partisan manner.

Later the Governor called on Rajnath Singh and a had detailed meeting with him wherein he again apprised him of the goings-on in the two Telugu States, especially with regard to administering law and order in the joint capital of Hyderabad. The Governor is understood to have made it clear that there was no threat to the law and order situation in Hyderabad and that a bogey was being raised about the threat to the Andhra settlers. Hyderabad is peaceful and people belonging to both the States are living peacefully in Hyderabad, he is stated to have emphasized.

The Governor had two sittings with the Union Home Minister and had one with the MHA officials. During these meetings which lasted for over one-and-a-half hours, the Governor is understood to have reminded that the cash-for-vote scam and the controversy over Section 8 were two separate issues. They told him that as far as the scam is concerned, he should let the investigation authorities do their job. And regarding the raging fire over Section 8 of APRA certain guidelines were provided to him to checkmate the matter from reaching a boiling point.

In his crisp interaction with media, the Governor said his meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was formal and there was nothing new and routine matters were discussed.