Hyderabad:

‘Arrest me if you can’ – Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader KT Rama Rao’s dare to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy Thursday afternoon, after he was named in a police case linked to the violence in Vikarabad district this week. “Arrest me! I will walk into prison with my head held high for standing by the farmers of Telangana,” Mr Rama Rao, popularly called KTR, posted on X.

He was responding to rumours he may shortly be arrested. The BRS’ Patnam Reddy – ‘Accused No 1’, the cops have said – was arrested Wednesday, and he reportedly said KTR ordered the attack.

“First, it is a false and fabricated case… I want to say to Revanth Reddy, ‘if you are so interested in arresting me, then please do it’. But the 21 poor farmers in jail (arrested in the aftermath of villagers attacking a team of officials) should be released,’ KT Rama Rao, or KTR, told news agency ANI.

“The Revanth Reddy government has been an abysmal failure… everyone can see how there is a kind of ‘Emergency’. I want to tell Revanth to stop grabbing farmers’ lands…” KTR declared.

#WATCH | Hyderabad | On his name being mentioned in the remand report in the Vikarabad Collector attack incident, “BRS Working President and MLA KT Rama Rao says, ” Firstly, it is a false and fabricated case. Revanth Reddy govt has been an abysmal failure on all fronts…I want… pic.twitter.com/jhATK64u6M

— ANI (@ANI) November 14, 2024

KTR slammed Revanth Reddy on Wednesday too, accusing the Chief Minister of grabbing land from poor farmers to benefit a pharmaceutical company owned by his son-in-law.

Responding to the rumours of his arrest, Rama Rao ripped into the Chief Minister and the conspiracy allegations against his colleague, posting on X, “For a man caught with a Rs 50 lakh bribe (Mr Reddy is implicated in a 2015 cash-for-votes scam) everything will seem like a conspiracy! Farmers protesting against your son-in-law’s pharma company will be a conspiracy! Farmers not bowing down to your brother’s threats is a conspiracy! To stand with poor tribal farmers is a conspiracy!”

Revanth Reddy!

For a man caught with Rs 50 lakh bribe, everything will seem like a conspiracy!

Farmers protesting against your son-in-law’s pharma company will be a conspiracy!

Farmers not bowing down to your brother’s threats is a conspiracy!

Two people talking on the…

— KTR (@KTRBRS) November 14, 2024

BRS workers massed at KTR’s Hyderabad home last night as talk of his impending arrest spread.

The Telangana government, meanwhile, has dismissed KTR’s allegations. IT Minister, Sridhar Babu, told NDTV the Reddy administration has taken a serious view of the attack, which he said had been planned by “political elements”. “There is a conspiracy to stop development in Telangana,” he declared.

Over 50 people were detained after villagers attacked a team of officials Monday to protest against the acquisition of 1,358 acres for a pharma project. The villagers have said compensation offered is below the market price. The incident took place within the Chief Minister’s Kodangal constituency.

READ | Violence Over Land In Telangana CM’s Constituency, 55 Detained

Four senior officials, including a cop, were injured after the 100-strong mob attacked.

Senior police officer V Satyanarayana told NDTV the attack had been planned, including luring District Collector Prateek Jain and a group of Revenue Department officials, to ground zero.

Mr Jain and the officials were to hold a public meeting, so farmers could voice their concerns, at one location, but were persuaded to travel to a second by a man called Suresh (an associate of the arrested BRS lawmaker). As soon as the officials reached the second spot they were attacked.

With input from agencies

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.

Hyderabad:

A family Diwali gathering was “maliciously labelled a ‘rave party'” Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader KT Rama Rao said Monday afternoon, hitting back hard in the row over police raids – and questioning claims about the use of narcotics when none were found – on his brother-in-law’s ‘farmhouse’.

Cyberabad cops said they seized stocks of foreign liquor and that one person – Vijay Madduri – was positive for cocaine. Authorities said they tested all 21 men detained but not 14 women also present.

KT Rama Rao, or KTR as he is called, however, slammed the ruling Congress and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party for “speaking recklessly… after officials stated no drugs were found”.

“So why this malicious campaign?” he asked, “… Pakala’s test was negative but BJP and Congress are spreading baseless rumors about him. How can they file a case under NDPS (the anti-narcotics law)?”

“First they said it was an excise case… for possessing more alcohol… but then they started calling it a ‘narcotics case’. They are labeling it a narcotics case only on orders from above…” he raged.

READ | ‘Farmhouse’ Of Relative Of Former Telangana Minister KTR Raided

“How was there a difference between the morning’s panchanama (cops’ record of the raid) and the police case? They dug a mountain… claiming there were bombs but didn’t even find a mouse.”

Pakala has been charged under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and the Gaming Act, while Mr Rama Rao and BRS leaders have criticised the attempted “character assassination”.

“Wrong To Have Diwali Gathering?”

“In Telangana today, is it wrong for a family to have a gathering at home for Diwali? Should we seek permission even for that? Raj Pakala built a house and had a housewarming ceremony for family and friends… but some are maliciously labeling this family gathering as a ‘rave party’,” KTR continued.

Attacking the Congress – which thumped the BRS in last year’s election – for running a “malicious campaign and political conspiracy”, KTR also said “we won’t stop fighting for the people…”

“Despite no illegal activities on our part there is a malicious campaign and political conspiracy against us by the (state) government… BRS leaders are being slapped with false cases for exposing (Chief Minister Revanth) Reddy’s corrupt activities, like the civil supplies scam…”

“Unable to confront us politically, they (the Congress) resort to conspiracies, but we have braved challenges and have been in this struggle. We are not afraid of Revanth Reddy’s plots…”

“Since yesterday there has been an absurd attempt to conspire against us.”

BJP, Congress, BRS Trade Barbs

Meanwhile, in a complicated game of political musical chairs, the ruling Congress has also come under fire from the BJP for “pretending” to enforce anti-drugs laws while protecting BRS leaders.

Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar said, “There is information that family members of Twitter Tillu (his epithet for KTR) and main drug suppliers were present. BJP is demanding a serious investigation.”

Congress govt in Telangana is just pretending to enforce the law but is actually protecting the BRS bigwigs.

The raid at Janwada farmhouse is merely tip of the iceberg.

A proper search would reveal the truth – even a novice knows drugs don’t simply vanish.

Congress govt… pic.twitter.com/89HsBdpxQi

— Bandi Sanjay Kumar (@bandisanjay_bjp) October 27, 2024

“Speculations are rife that family members were supposedly present but Congress is pressuring police to shield them rather than holding them accountable…” he said in a video statement on X.

“Seize passports of all high-profile individuals involved… secure their locations, and release every piece of CCTV footage. We call for immediate arrests with absolutely no leniency, and no escape routes.”

The BRS, meanwhile, has claimed “match-fixing” by its two rivals, orchestrated by the Chief Minister and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, to trap KTR and the state party, and has vowed to take legal action.

The BRS has denied claims drugs and foreign liquor – beyond permitted amounts – were seized.

NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.