Both the CMs have expressed their full support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to sources in their offices. “KCR said to the Home Minister that he and his TRS (Telangana Rashtra Samithi) would be with the Union government in any steps it takes in the interest of the country,” a spokesman of KCR told this newspaper.
Naidu too appreciated the Centre’s move to wipe out terror launch pads across the LoC. An official from AP CM’s office said that Naidu congratulated the PM for responding to the terror attack in Uri two weeks ago. Naidu’s representative and Rajya Sabha member, C.M. Ramesh, who attended the all-party meeting chaired by the Home Minister, conveyed TDP’s support to the Army.
Though Rajnath Singh called up each and every CM in the country to brief them about the surgical strikes, he took more time to impress on the possible security precautions to be taken by certain vulnerable states where reprisal attacks are feared. Hyderabad in Telangana and Visakhapatnam in AP were identified as “trouble spots” by the Centre, sources said. Singh discussed with KCR about the security scenario in Hyderabad which has emerged as an area of concern in the wake of a large scale presence of radicalised militant outfits and ISIS moles. After talking to Singh, KCR issued instructions to the top police officials to keep a watch on the suspects’ movements in the city.
A senior official told this newspaper that all major defence units in the city would be provided additional security. “We are taking extra care to provide protection to IT companies particularly the MNCs and the consulates of the US, UK in the city,” said the intelligence official. Singh has suggested to Naidu to provide enough protection to the naval and other defence establishments in Visakhapatnam and the air force base at Bapatla in Guntur district. Naidu responded by issuing orders to the police to intensify patrolling along the coast.
Ramesh told this newspaper that the Centre has said that more such meetings would be held in the future as similar strikes were not ruled out if the situation demands. “People from all walks of life are with the Centre and the Army in this hour and we are proud of what our jawans have done this time,” he said.