Twin blasts: TDP demands resignation of AP chief minister

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy today drew flak from his party men and the opposition, which demanded that he immediately step down from his post owning responsibility for the twin bomb blasts that claimed 16 lives on Thursday.

Telugu Desam Party MP T Devender Goud and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dadi Veerabhadra Rao came down heavily on the government stating that it ignored the Centre’s warning on terror strikes.

"The blasts occurred solely because of the state government’s failure. The entire cabinet should own responsibility and quit forthwith," Goud, a former home minister, said after visiting the blasts site on Saturday morning.

Addressing a press conference at the TDP headquarters, Dadi echoed Goud’s statement and alleged the government "dumped the Centre’s warning on possible terror strike in the dustbin".

"After some searches in the aftermath of Mecca Masjid blast, the government washed its hands off and remained silent. What steps has the government taken on intelligence warnings that Tirumala, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, and Nagarjuna Sagar Dam are also on the terrorists' radar," Dadi asked.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs from Telangana region also used the occasion to take on the chief minister.

"The state intelligence wing’s focus is only Congress ministers and MPs and not terrorists. The blasts have certainly brought disrepute to the government. The state police seemed to have taken the Centre's warning lightly," MP Ponnam Prabhakar lashed out.

Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao was also highly critical of the government.

"The government has taken the Centre’s warning lightly. Nobody knows what the exclusive organisations set for counter-terror operations are doing," Rao said and appealed to the government to stop using the intelligence wings for political purposes.