Amaravati: In a blow to the Centre, Andhra Pradesh government on Friday withdrew the 'General Consent' given to the members of Delhi Special Police Establishment to exercise power and jurisdiction in the state.
Following the withdrawal of the concent, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which was constituted under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act of 1946, will not be able to exercise its power and authority regarding any case which falls within the limits of Andhra Pradesh.
According to a notification issued by the state government, the investigating agency, from now on, cannot conduct raids in Andhra Pradesh, or else, it will have to seek prior permission for entry into the state regarding any official work.
The CBI's functions will be carried out by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of AP. The latest move by the TDP supremo also allows the ACB to conduct searches on the various departments of the Central government located in AP, in case of suspicion.
TDP leader Lanka Dinakar said, "This decision has been taken in wake of incidents happening in CBI since last six months. It lost its independence due to the involvement of Modi-led Union govt which is using CBI as tools against political opponents by means of preparing fabricated statements."
The development comes amid the ongoing stand-off between Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government.
Chandrababu Naidu last month met leaders of several opposition parties in a bid to unite them against PM Modi and Amit Shah-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He added that said some parties might join them after the Assembly elections in five states while 'one or two' might come following the Lok Sabha elections.
Earlier this year, Naidu-led TDP had walked out of the NDA over the demand for 'special category status' for Andhra Pradesh. Since then there has been a constant centre-state rift and war of words going on between the two.
