HYDERABAD: Attorney-General of India Mukul Rohatgi revealed on Monday that he had told governor E S L Narasimhan that he was free to assume special powers and responsibilities as per Section 8 of the AP Reorganization Act if he wanted to. The A-G, however, clarified that he gave no written advice whatsoever to the governor or anyone else in the matter.

"I had oral discussions with the governor on the issue and told him that as governor of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, he has a special responsibility under the Act and if he feels so, he can carry out that responsibility as per Section 8 which deals with law and order in the joint capital region of Hyderabad," Rohatgi told over telephone from New Delhi on Monday.

The A-G's reported legal advice to the governor on Section 8 had triggered a war of words between TRS and TDP leaders in the twin states. While AP leaders said the governor is empowered by Section 8 to take law and order in Hyderabad into his own hands, Telangana leaders insisted that law and order in the joint capital is the exclusive domain of the elected TRS Government.

Interestingly, while the Union home ministry refused to confirm whether Rohatgi gave such opinion, the A-G had left for a visit abroad and returned only on Sunday evening. "With the A-G confirming that he did give such oral advice to the governor, the debate on Section 8 will once again get reignited," a political analyst said.