BJP MP Raghunandan Rao questions Kavitha’s selective disclosures, urges probe into real estate project

BJP Medak MP M. Raghunandan Rao said there was nothing new in what MLC K. Kavitha revealed about the alleged scams during the BRS regime, and expressed hope that she would disclose more in the coming days.

Addressing a press conference at the party’s State office on Wednesday, Mr. Rao questioned why former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter was being selective in her revelations and remained silent on the issue of illegal phone tapping allegedly carried out by police officers close to BRS leaders named by her.

“I am a direct victim of phone surveillance and was harassed by the then Task Force DCP, but so far she has only spoken about matters already in the public domain. Maybe she is leaving the door open for a return. Doesn’t she know how many conservation zones were converted by the municipal department headed by her brother, and how many illegal government orders were issued?” he asked.

Mr. Rao said Ms. Kavitha’s remarks clearly indicate that the BRS was built on a foundation of corruption, with several of its elected representatives having ‘rags-to-riches’ stories. “If KCR shut down clubs, it only gave rise to pub culture. Everyone is aware of it,” he remarked.

Referring to the Dubbak election mentioned by Ms. Kavitha, Mr. Rao said he had publicly named former Ministers Harish Rao and K.T. Rama Rao as responsible for denying funds to the constituency and had even complained to Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, but no action was taken. He also claimed to have previously spoken about an alleged pact between Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Mr. Harish Rao to defeat him in the Lok Sabha elections.

The only new revelation by Ms. Kavitha, he said, was about a real estate project in Mokila involving an MLC. He urged Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and the ACB Director General to take note and initiate a thorough probe into the project’s permissions.

In a separate press conference, former MLA N.V.S.S. Prabhakar demanded that the government replace its legal team, alleging that its failure to present effective arguments in the Kaleshwaram project and phone tapping cases led to relief for Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao and Mr. Harish Rao from the High Court. He also accused Mr. Revanth Reddy of wasting time in taking action against BRS leaders, even after the P.C. Ghosh Commission named Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, Mr. Harish Rao and other irrigation officials.