Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kavitha Kalvakuntla led a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Friday, March 10, demanding that the Women’s Reservation Bill be tabled in the Parliament. While the Congress stayed away from the protest, members from several opposition parties including the Aam Aadmi Party, Shiv Sena, Shiromani Akali Dal, Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party, National Conference, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (United), Nationalist Congress Party, Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Samajwadi Party, and Rashtriya Lok Dal expressed their support.
The inaugural session was attended by senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury. Sanjay Singh from AAP, Naresh Gujral from Shiromani Akali Dal, and CPI(M) leader Subhashini Ali also joined the protest. The show of support for the BRS protest comes a day before Kavitha’s impending meeting with the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case. The ED has alleged that a firm called ‘South Group’ which is controlled by Kavitha among others gave kickbacks worth nearly Rs 100 crore to Aam Aadmi Party leaders allegedly to gain control over the liquor business in Delhi. Kavitha was earlier questioned in connection with the case by the CBI in December 2022. However, Kavitha is not an 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. ED has reportedly alleged that Arun Pillai represented Kavitha’s business interests and her ‘benami’ investments.
After receiving a notice from the ED to appear before it on March 9, Kavitha responded saying she would appear for her deposition on March 11. Ahead of the meeting, 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.
With IANS inputs