Amravati, June 28: Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has been slapped with an eviction notice, as the demolition drive sanctioned by his successor Jaganmohan Reddy reached his doorsteps. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has reacted strongly to the notice, calling it political vendetta.

A team of AP Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA), headed by assistant director Y Narender Reddy, reached Naidu's lavish Amravati residence earlier in the day and handed over a "get out notice". Four TDP MPs Join BJP While Chandrababu Naidu Vacations in The United States

The officials told the inmates that the house is illegal and would be demolished by the APCRDA in the next few days. Naidu was present at the house when the eviction notice was served.

The authorities have given Naidu's family a one-week period to evict the house, failing to which they would be forcibly moved out.

The demolition notice comes a day after Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy prioritised the pulling down of Praja Vedika -- the plush conference hall built adjacent to Naidu's residence where the ex-CM met party workers and officials.

APCRDA officials, while speaking to reporters, said the notice issued to Naidu should not be conceived as witch-hunt. The TDP president's house is allegedly built within 100 metre radius of river Krishna, and has therefore been deemed illegal on environmental grounds. Along with Naidu's structure, 22 other houses in Vundavalli have also been served notices.

Senior TDP leader Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, however, dismissed the reason of demolition cited by the authorities. The former Andhra cabinet minister claimed that construction on Krishna river bed began when Jaganmohan's father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was the CM. "If it was illegal, why didn’t Reddy take action then itself," he asked while speaking to reporters.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 28, 2019 08:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).