Naidu will not be allowed to visit Babhli barrage site: Ashok Chavan

The Maharashtra government today said Telugu Desam Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu will not be allowed to visit the Babhli barrage site.

"The former Andhra Pradesh chief minister and his delegation will not be allowed to visit the Babhli barrage," chief minister Ashok Chavan stated after a high-level meeting to review the situation ahead of the Nanded bandh tomorrow.

The bandh has been called by the Babhli Kriti Sangarsh Samiti.

Andhra Pradesh chief minister K Rosaiah had yesterday appealed to Chavan to let the TDP team led by Naidu visit the project site.

On whether the decision has been communicated to Rosaiah, Chavan said, "I have been speaking to him."

The TDP alleges that the project is being built "illegally" by the Maharashtra government and is detrimental to the interests of the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.

Naidu and 74 other TDP leaders were arrested by the Maharashtra police on July 16 when they sought to visit the controversial irrigation project being built on the Godavari.

Naidu was remanded in judicial custody for two days on Saturday after he refused bail. Chavan said, "The matter is before the court and we will obey the court's orders."

Meanwhile, state home minister RR Patil said the local magistrate would decide where to shift the TDP chief. Currently, Naidu along with party MPs and MLAs is lodged at the ITI building in Dharmabad.