Addressing mediapersons here today, TDP spokesman Umareddi Venkateswarulu and general secretaries C Ramachandraiah and Lal Jan Basha said that if the BJP state unit did not stop criticising the Chandrababu Naidu Government, the TDP would ``hit back'' in an appropriate manner.

Though no definite threat was held against the ruling coalition at the Centre, leaders of the TDP made no secret of their exasperation with the repeated attacks of the local BJP leaders including state president Ch Vidyasagar Rao and Union Minister Bandaru Dattatreya.

The TDP leaders were all the more disturbed over the criticism against the Naidu government by BJP national general secretary M Venkaiah Naidu and Union Civil Aviation Minister Anantha Kumar at the party's recent regional political camp at Kakinada.

Referring to Vidyasagar Rao's statement that the TDP extended support to the BJP led coalition under inevitable circumstances, Venkateswarlu said, ``It is unfortunate that the BJP leaders chose to insult our support to them. In fact, we extended our support only at their (BJP) request''.

The former Union minister took exception to the BJP leaders' statement that the Congress was the BJP's main rival and that TDP was not a force to reckon with in the State. ``How can they make such a statement? We are the ruling party here and they (BJP) should know their limits,'' he said.

Both Venkateswarlu and Ramachandraiah ridiculed the BJP leader's contention that their voting share in the last Lok Sabha elections in AP was intact. ``All those who voted for BJP then are now with us,'' Venkateswarlu said.

Replying to repeated questions on how the TDP would react to the BJP's criticism, the TDP leaders merely said: ``We will reveal it at an appropriate time in an appropriate manner''. However, they ruled out any immediate threat to the Vajpayee Government.

The leaders scotched the BJP charge that the Naidu Government has allotted prime land on the city outskirts at throw away price to the Indian School of Business (ISB) to be established by the consortium of leading businessmen of the country.

Venkateswarlu said that the school was a prestigious institution and the State should be proud of accommodating it. There was nothing wrong if a few concessions were given to such a project. ``Probably, the BJP leaders were sore that the school did not go for Maharashtra, where there is a BJP government,'' he said.