A letter from the Union government asking the Telangana government to entrust special responsibilities to the Governor in maintenance of law and order in Hyderabad triggered a Centre-State confrontation on Friday night.

On Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s orders, Chief Secretary Rajeev Sharma replied to the Centre within two hours of the receipt of the letter that the State was rejecting the direction. The development is likely to find an echo in Parliament on Monday.

Mr. Rao is also using this opportunity to rope in non-NDA state governments to oppose the Centre’s move, which he described as “unconstitutional and against the federal spirit”. The reply of Telangana has been sent to the MHA and the PMO within two hours, official sources confirmed to The Hindu.

The four-page letter said certain directions need to be given by Central Government…regarding special responsibility of the Governor and listed out 13 norms that the Centre advised the State Government to adhere to.

Mr. Rao likened the Centre’s missive as an attempt to usurp powers of a democratically elected government and made it clear that his government would not tolerate the “fascist acts of PM Narendra Modi”.

As per the norms, the Governor would have powers to review the Law and Order situation in the joint capital, which Telangana Government is objecting to arguing that it is a State subject. The Andhra Pradesh Government in the last one month had made several complaints to the Centre against certain actions of Telangana government which it alleged were against the interests of people from other regions living in Hyderabad.

This is the second time the Centre quoting provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act, had written to the State government to change its business rules. Telangana had been steadfastly opposing it.