Is BJP Vindicated After CBI Probe into Kaleshwaram?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- BJP claims vindication with CBI probe initiation.
- Corruption allegations against the BRS government highlighted.
- Political tensions escalate during Assembly debates.
- Phone-tapping scandal continues to unfold.
- Call for accountability in governance emphasized.
Hyderabad, Sep 1 (NationPress) - Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar has stated that the BJP has been vindicated following the Congress government's decision in Telangana to transfer the investigation of the Kaleshwaram project to the CBI. He accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of being entirely accountable for the extensive corruption associated with Kaleshwaram.
“We have consistently called for a CBI investigation, but the Congress protected the BRS and stalled action. Today, the government has yielded to the truth by agreeing to forward the case to CBI. We insist that the letter be dispatched immediately—similar to the past when the Congress announced an SIT on ORR toll tenders in the Assembly but failed to appoint it,” Bandi Sanjay expressed on ‘X’.
“In the meantime, the phone-tapping controversy continues to unfold like an ongoing dramatic series,” the BJP leader added.
Bandi Sanjay has been persistently urging the Congress government to refer the phone-tapping scandal to the CBI.
The Minister of State, who appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) investigating the phone-tapping matter last month, asserted that the SIT lacks the authority to conduct the investigation and called for a CBI inquiry to uncover the truth.
Repeatedly, senior BJP officials labeled Kaleshwaram as an ATM for the former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).
On Monday, the Congress government announced its intention to refer the case concerning alleged irregularities in the Kaleshwaram irrigation project, constructed during BRS governance, to the CBI.
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy made the announcement in the state Assembly early in the day after a lengthy debate on the report of the PC Ghose Commission, which investigated the alleged irregularities in the project.
The Commission’s report was presented in the Assembly on Sunday, and after almost 10 hours of discussion, the Chief Minister declared a CBI probe. It held KCR directly and indirectly accountable for the irregularities and unlawful actions in the planning, construction, completion, operation, and maintenance of three barrages.
The debate was characterized by heated exchanges between members of the ruling Congress and the main opposition BRS.
BRS members protested by tearing copies of the report, expressing dissatisfaction over the limited time allocated for debate. The main opposition party subsequently staged a walkout from the House.