A day after BRS MLA and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kavitha Kalvakuntla received a notice to appear before the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, her brother and Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao lashed out at the Union government. Addressing a press meet on Thursday, March 9, KTR said: “These are not ED summons, these are Modi summons.”
KTR listed several BRS leaders who have come under the radar of central investigation agencies such as ED, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or Income Tax (I-T) department. He said that around 11 to 12 BRS leaders were targeted by the Union government through probe agencies but were unable to find anything damaging. “On noticing the growth of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) under the leadership of CM KCR, yesterday, our MLC Kavitha also received ED summons. These are actually Modi summons. These are cheap political attempts,” KTR said.
Calling agencies such as CBI, ED, and I-T ‘puppets’ in the hands of the Union government, KTR slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He questioned the Union government’s alleged role in promoting the business interests of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani. KTR said that Indian media establishments had no press freedom, as the Union government had even gone after the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, BBC, for its documentary criticising PM Modi's role during the 2002 Gujarat riots.
KTR also questioned PM Modi’s silence on the allegations made by short seller Hindenburg Research against the Adani Group and said that the Prime Minister only had time for campaigns such as ‘Chai pe Charcha’ and ‘Pariksha pe Charcha’. “No one knows if he really ever sold chai or wrote an exam,” KTR said, in a jibe against PM Modi.
The ED has alleged that the ‘South Group’ – controlled by Kavitha, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Aurobindo Pharma's P Sarat Chandra Reddy, among others – gave kickbacks of crores to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders that were allegedly used in the 2022 Goa Assembly elections. The amount was paid to gain control over the liquor business in Dehi, the ED alleged. Kavitha was earlier questioned in connection with the case by the CBI in December 2022. However, Kavitha is not a accused in the case yet and it is not clear if any financial links have been established.
Recently on Tuesday, March 7, the ED arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai in connection with the case. According to reports, ED has alleged that Arun Pillai represented Kavitha’s business interests and her ‘benami’ investments.
Kavitha had earlier announced her plan to hold a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 10, demanding that the Union government table the Women's Reservation Bill in the Budget session of parliament. She has written to the ED saying she would appear for her deposition on March 11. Ahead of Kavitha’s meeting with ED, CM KCR has called a joint meeting of the BRS Parliamentary Party, Legislature Party and the state Executive at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS headquarters in Hyderabad, on March 10.