Telugu Desam Party leaders, who have gone on the defensive ever since the Krishna river waters nearly submerged the residence of their party president and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on the banks of the river at Vundavalli, has found an excuse to attack the YSR Congress party government.
On Friday, the TDP leaders raised a hue and cry over flying of two drones over Naidu’s residence.
While Naidu and his family had already moved to safety in their Hyderabad residence, the TDP leaders came to Vundavalli to see the flood situation and noticed two persons operating drones.
They immediately caught them and called the police to the spot. On questioning by the police, the two persons clarified that they were doing the duty on behalf of the irrigation department to take pictures on the Krishna river to assess the flood situation.
But, the TDP leaders sought to make it a big issue, stating that flying of drones over Naidu’s residence was breach of security norms, as it falls under high security zone.
Within minutes, they informed Naidu, who lost no time in capitalizing on the situation for political gains.
He spoke to director general of police Gautam Sawang and Guntur district superintendent of police R Jayalaxmi and wondered how somebody could fly drone over his residence without police permission.
“Are they trying to put my life in risk? It is a clear case of conspiracy,” he said.
Later, Irrigation minister P Anil Kumar told the reporters that the department itself had deployed drones for aerial survey to estimate the flood situation.
“It is the duty of the department to identify people on the banks of the river and shift them to safer places. The TDP leaders are playing dirty politics for political gains,” he said.