KTR Commits to Legal Battle Against ACB Case and ED Notice
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Hyderabad, Jan 1 (NationPress) The working president of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and former minister of Telangana, K. T. Rama Rao, declared on Wednesday his intention to legally challenge the case filed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and the notice from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) concerning supposed irregularities regarding the Formula-E race.
He rejected the claims of wrongdoing, labeling them as unfounded and a product of political vendetta.
In a casual discussion with reporters, he expressed his unwavering confidence in the judicial system and pledged to confront any unfair legal measures against him.
On Tuesday, the Telangana High Court postponed its decision on a petition from Rama Rao aimed at dismissing the FIR lodged by the ACB.
On December 29, the ACB initiated a case against KTR, senior IAS official Arvind Kumar, and the former chief engineer of the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), B.L.N. Reddy, regarding alleged irregularities in the organization of the 2023 Formula E-car race during BRS's administration.
The ED subsequently filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and summoned KTR for interrogation on January 7.
KTR characterized the ACB case as the agency's first instance of filing charges in a situation devoid of corruption, asserting, "There isn't even a single paisa of corruption, let alone Rs 600 crore," while accusing the Congress government of attempting to imprison him without substantial proof.
The former minister suggested that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy should also be prosecuted for revoking the agreement to host the Formula-E race without Cabinet approval. "If my decision as the municipal administration minister was incorrect for lacking Cabinet approval, why hasn't Revant Reddy faced charges for his unilateral cancellation?" he queried.
KTR urged BRS supporters to ramp up their efforts against the failures and misdeeds of the Congress government, calling on them to work diligently to reinstate a BRS-led administration in the forthcoming elections.
The BRS leader accused the Congress government of catering exclusively to the wealthy elite, while disregarding the needs of impoverished and marginalized groups.
KTR challenged the necessity of implementing self-declaration forms for farmers under the Congress's proposed ‘Rythu Bharosa’ scheme. He criticized the government for utilizing such strategies to reduce benefits and betray farmers, claiming that the initiative is being compromised to accommodate a limited budget.
He condemned the Congress's governance over the past year as a failure characterized by incompetence and corruption, providing instances of forced evictions, land-grabbing, and policy mismanagement as proof of the government's anti-poor approach.
KTR announced that BRS will initiate extensive outreach efforts, including a large public assembly coinciding with the party's foundation day on April 27 and a membership drive. He also disclosed plans for leadership training sessions and the election of a party president later this year, asserting that BRS members are united in supporting KCR's leadership.
