Governor takes top cops of TS, AP to task

Hyderabad: The Director Generals of Police of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana were taken to task by Governor E S L Narasimhan on Saturday over the behaviour of the police personnel of the States virtually coming to blows at Nagarjuna Sagar Dam reservoir on Friday in the wake of the water row between the two States.

It may be mentioned here that the raging controversy between the two States over the release of water from the Nagarjuna Sagar Project reservoir into the right canal for irrigation in Krishna delta led to tension at the dam site on Friday and both the States deployed their police forces to prevent any untoward incident.

When discussions at the official level failed to resolve the issue amicably, the mounting tension took a serious turn with the police personnel of both the States virtually coming to blows forcing the intervention of the two Chief Ministers to sort out the issue at Raj Bhavan.

Accordingly, even before the two CMs could arrive for the scheduled meeting with the Governor this morning, the DGPs of the two States were summoned for an explanation over the distressing incident at the dam site on Friday evening. When the two DGPs explained their versions on the incident, Narasimhan is understood to have expressed his anguish and shock over the behaviour of the police personnel.

If the police, who are expected to maintain law and order, indulge in breaking the law, what message it would send to the public, he is understood to have asked the DGPs and felt that they should have taken adequate precautionary measures in advance and advised the police personnel to observe restraint. He also directed both the police chiefs to ensure that such incidents do not recur and also take required steps to provide adequate protection to the dam.