BRS Official Rejects Links to Complainant's Murder in Kaleshwaram Incident
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Synopsis
In a recent press conference, BRS leader Gandra Venkat Ramana Reddy denied any involvement in the murder of Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy, who had reported corruption in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme. Reddy labeled the allegations as baseless and pointed fingers at the Congress party for politicizing the incident.
Key Takeaways
- Gandra Venkat Ramana Reddy denies involvement in the murder.
- Accusations against him are called baseless.
- Political tensions rise between BRS and Congress.
- Rajalingamurthy was killed after exposing corruption.
- Reddy calls for an inquiry into the murder.
Hyderabad, Feb 20 (NationPress) Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) official and former MLA Gandra Venkat Ramana Reddy firmly refuted any connection to the murder of Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy, the individual who reported alleged corruption in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) after the piers of the Medigadda barrage collapsed.
During a press briefing, he stated that he was entirely uninvolved in Rajalingamurthy's death.
The BRS leader characterized the accusations against him as unfounded and accused the Congress party of trying to wrongfully associate the BRS with this incident.
Venkat Ramana Reddy's comments were in response to claims made by the victim's family and leaders from the ruling party.
This incident has sparked a significant political controversy, with the victim's relatives and Congress party leaders attributing blame to BRS officials for the murder.
Nagavelli Rajalingamurthy was brutally killed in Bhupalpally town on Wednesday night.
His spouse, Sarla, a former councilor of Bhupalpally Municipality, alleged that BRS officials orchestrated the murder due to his exposure of corruption within the Kaleshwaram project.
"Venkat Ramana Reddy stated that the BRS does not engage in murder politics. 'Neither I nor the party has any involvement in this murder. We intend to address the Medigadda case through legal means,' he declared.
The former MLA urged the state government to conduct an investigation into the murder and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
He noted that a First Information Report (FIR) had been filed indicating that Rajalingamurthy's murder stemmed from a land dispute. He also mentioned that the alleged murderer has surrendered to the police.
The BRS leader accused certain individuals of pressuring Rajalingamurthy’s wife to make statements against him.
"Some Congress leaders are calling for a CB CID investigation. We welcome a government-ordered CBI inquiry," he added.
The former MLA claimed that Rajalingamurthy had been involved in multiple land disputes and that a rowdysheet had been opened against him.
Rajalingamurthy, who switched to the Congress party before the 2023 Assembly elections, was attacked by three to four unidentified assailants armed with sickles and knives while riding his motorbike. The assailants pursued and brutally killed him on the street.
In October 2023, he had lodged a complaint at the Bhupalpally police station seeking an FIR against then Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR), former Irrigation Minister T. Harish Rao, and others after several piers of the Medigadda barrage, part of the Kaleshwaram project, sank.
After the police declined to register an FIR, Murthy turned to the local magistrate court, which dismissed his request. He subsequently approached the Principal Sessions Court in Bhupalpally, which issued notices to KCR, Harish Rao, and others, but the Telangana High Court granted a stay.
The sinking of the piers of Medigadda caused a political uproar, with opposition parties accusing the BRS government of corruption and poor project design and execution in what is touted as the world’s largest lift irrigation scheme.
