Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao. File.
| Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao has accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister M. Bhatti Vikramarka and their Cabinet colleagues of deceiving people of the State for over a year after promising to implement pre-election guarantees within 100 days of coming to power.

Speaking after releasing the new year diary and calendar of the party’s Vidyarthi Vibhagam (student wing) here on Monday, he said that Mr. Vikaramarka, in his capacity as Congress Legislature Party leader, had himself participated in the issuance of new ration cards, totalling 6.47 lakh, during the previous BRS rule in 2021. But, he and other members of the Cabinet were now spreading misinformation that no new ration card was issued during the BRS government from 2014 to 2023.

The Congress government, on the other hand, was terming the issuance of new ration cards as a historical programme. Mr. Rama Rao alleged and said the Congress party had made over 430 promises in the name of declarations and guarantees and publicised them by putting even Joseph Goebbels to shame in terms of spreading lies and misinformation. German politician Goebbels, as Adolf Hitler’s Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, had masterminded the Nazi propaganda machine and executed its murderous agenda.

As a mark of protest against AICC leader Rahul Gandhi’s promise to the youth preparing for competitive exams to fill two lakh jobs within the first year, he proposed that the party’s student wing organise a programme on January 31. The plan involves paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi’s statues across the State and praying for his guidance to help Congress leaders honour their commitment.

Mr. Rama Rao also asked the student and youth leaders of BRS to spread public awareness about issuance of notifications to fill 2.32 lakh jobs and filling over 1.6 lakh by the previous BRS government. All the jobs filled by the Congress government were a result of the notifications issued and exams conducted during the BRS reign.

The case was booked following a complaint by the traffic police. (File)

BRS working president KT Rama Rao, popularly known by his initials KTR, has appeared for questioning in the Formula E race case, with a stern message that he has all the answers. Mr Rao, who was summoned by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) today, is the prime accused in the case related to the alleged “unauthorised” payments to conduct the Formula E race.

The Telangana High Court has allowed KTR’s lawyer to accompany him to the ACB office, but he is not allowed in the interrogation room. He can track the questioning from across a glass window in an adjacent room.

CCTV recording is not allowed for the questioning session.

Read more: “Cacophony Won’t Silence Me”: KTR As Court Rejects Dismissing Corruption Case

Ahead of appearing before the ACB, KTR said whatever he did was to improve Hyderabad’s brand image.

“As the son of Telangana’s former chief minister Kalvakuntla Chandrashekhar Rao, I will die for Telangana if needed but won’t bow in front of such people. I have the answers to all questions. Whatever I did was to enhance the brand image of Hyderabad,” he told reporters.

Earlier in the day, he shared a footage from a podcast talking about the race and said he worked tirelessly for bringing a prestigious event to India. KTR said his agenda was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility and the Formula-E race was a part of the effort to realise this vision.

The former state minister said he intended to make TMV (Telangana Mobility Valley) clusters the epicentre for innovation, research, and manufacturing of electric vehicles creating employment and revenue. “Small minds who are driven by petty politics may never understand any of this but I am confident that people of Telangana who are observing everything will understand the truth and the vision,” his online post read.

Read more: KTR Faces Corruption Case Over Alleged Irregularities In 2023 Formula E Race

Another accused in the case – senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar – appeared before the ACB yesterday.

Dramatic scenes unfolded at the ACB headquarters on Tuesday after KTR’s lawyer was not allowed to accompany him inside. KTR refused to be questioned and left without appearing before the anti-corruption officials. He was then issued a fresh notice for Thursday and the court allowed his lawyer to accompany him to the office.

The Formula E race case was registered last month against KTR, who was Municipal Administration Minister during the BRS regime, and two others over alleged payments for conducting the race in 2023. Most of the payments were allegedly unauthorised and in foreign currency, and led to losses worth about Rs 55 crore.

The race was to be held in February 2024, but it was cancelled after a change in government in December 2023.

BRS working president KT Rama Rao asserted that he has “done nothing wrong” and termed the charges of corruption in the Formula-E race case as “politically motivated”.

Telangana High Court on Tuesday dismissed the quash petition filed by him in the Formula-E race case.

“I am hoping that I will get a positive result in the Supreme Court. This case that has been foisted in me is a frivolous case which has no substance…I do hope the Supreme Court will hear my plea and will deliver justice…I have asked the anti-corruption bureau officers as to what their objection is to taking my lawyers along with me…,” KTR told ANI a day earlier.

“I will make a request in High Court about it…It is a politically motivated case…I have nothing to hide and I have done nothing wrong…,” he added.

Notably, the court also revoked the prior order that prevented his arrest.

Telangana’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is investigating KTR’s alleged involvement in a money laundering case over alleged financial irregularities linked to the Formula E race held in Hyderabad in February 2023.

On Monday, the ACB summoned KTR to its office in Hyderabad for questioning in connection with the case.

On December 19, Telangana ACB registered a case against the KTR over alleged payments, some of it in foreign currency without approvals, to conduct a Formula E race in Hyderabad during the previous regime.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has also registered an enforcement case information report (ECIR) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against KTR and others in the case.

Enforcement Directorate filed the ECIR after the Telangana ACB registered a First Information Report (FIR) against KTR and others in the Formula-E funding case.

The FIR lists KTR as the primary accused, with senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy named as the second and third accused, respectively.

The case was filed under applicable sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, along with provisions of the IPC related to criminal breach of trust and conspiracy.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad:

The Telangana governor has cleared an investigation against BRS leader and former state minister KT Rama Rao over alleged irregularities to the tune of Rs 55 crore in the organisation of a Formula E race in Hyderabad last year and the deal for future races, sources said on Friday. 

Mr Rao, who is also known as KTR, held the Industry and Municipal Administration and Urban Development portfolios, among others, under the previous government headed by his father and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Chief K Chandrashekar Rao. 

The Anti-Corruption Bureau had sought Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma’s nod to investigate KTR in the Formula E case. The Bureau has alleged that, as the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MAUD) minister, Mr Rao had given oral instructions for the transfer of Rs 55 crore to one of the race’s organisers, bypassing laid-down procedures. 

During the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) investigation, which was triggered by a complaint from MAUD, a senior official from the department, Arvind Kumar –  who held the post of principal secretary at the time – had admitted that the instructions had been issued verbally by the then minister. 

Mr Rao, who is the MLA from Sircilla, had said last month that Hyderabad had benefited from hosting the Formula E race, which could generate a revenue of Rs 750 crore. He alleged that he was being targeted by the current Congress government led by Revanth Reddy – which dislodged the BRS last year after nearly a decade in power since Telangana’s formation in 2014 – and the BJP.

“Even the fear of imprisonment won’t stop me. If the government permits the investigation, I am ready to go to jail. I will plan a ‘padyatra‘ (foot march) while I am behind bars,” he said. 

The former minister had also claimed that cabinet approval was not needed for transferring the money. 

Contract Details

To conduct seasons nine,10,11 and 12 of the Formula E Race, MAUD had signed a tripartite agreement with Formula E Organisers (FEO) and Ace Nxt Gen Pvt limited in 2022. The ninth season of the car race was held in Hyderabad on February 10 and 11, 2023.

The promoter, Ace Nxt Gen, then dropped out, citing losses. Since the FEO was willing to organise the next season, Arvind Kumar transferred Rs 55 crore – including Rs 9 crore as taxes – to it, allegedly on the advice of Mr Rao

Another alleged irregularity included transferring a tranche of money to FEO after the schedule for the Assembly elections in Telangana was announced, without taking permission from the Election Commission, and making payments in pounds without obtaining clearance from the RBI.

‘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

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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.

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Hyderabad:

A Telangana court today told state minister Konda Surekha to take down her social media posts linking BRS working president KT Rama Rao to the divorce of actors Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya.

A city civil court in Hyderabad was hearing a petition by Mr Rao, who had filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against the minister.

Ms Surekha, who is Telangana’s Minister for Forest and Environment, stoked controversy earlier this month when she alleged that KT Rama Rao, commonly known as KTR, was the reason behind Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s divorce in 2021.

She claimed that KTR, a former minister, tapped the phones of actresses and blackmailed them. In this connection, she said he was behind the divorce of the actors. 

“It is KT Rama Rao because of whom (actress) Samantha’s divorce happened… He was a minister at that time and used to tap the phones of the actresses and then find their weaknesses to blackmail them… He used to make them drug addicts and then do this… Everyone knows this, Samantha, Naga Chaitanya, his family — everybody is aware that such a thing happened,” she had said.

Both actors released separate statements, calling the remarks “absolutely ridiculous” and asking the minister to be “responsible and respectful of individuals’ privacy”.

Mr Chaitanya’s father and famous Telugu actor Akkineni Nagarjuna also filed a defamation case against Ms Surekha, alleging that the minister’s remarks damaged his family’s reputation. 

Several cine personalities such as Chiranjeevi, junior NTR, Mahesh Babu, and Vijay Devarakonda also hit out at the Congress leader.

Amid the massive backlash surrounding her remark, Ms Surekha apologised to the actors and their families.

“I spoke about a family. It was an unexpected slip of the tongue on my part. When I saw their tweets, I felt bad. When I realised that, I felt bad that I hurt someone. So I unconditionally withdraw my statement. But in KTR’s case, there is no going back. I demand his apology,” the minister said.

Actor Samanta Ruth Prabhu’s response to Konda Surekha over her comments regarding her divorce with Naga Chaitanya, had a string message for the Telangana minister, advising her to be “responsible and respectful of individuals’ privacy” and leave her “out of political battles”.

The short note tacked to her Instagram hours after the minister’s comment was scathing. It accused the minister of indulging in speculation, misrepresentation of facts and trivialisation of her journey as a woman.  

“My divorce is a personal matter and I request that you refrain from speculating about it… To clarify: my divorce was mutual consent and amicable, with no political conspiracy involved,” the actor wrote.

In a blistering attack on KT Rama Rao, son of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, earlier today, Ms Surekha linked him with the divorce of Samantha Ruth Prabhu and her former husband Naga Chaitanya. 

She had also said he was the reason why many actresses left movies and married early. KT Rama Rao, she claimed, blackmailed film personalities after getting them addicted to drugs.

Naga Chaitanya is yet to respond. His father, Nagarjuna Akkineni, was first off the mark. In a message on X, formerly Twitter, the veteran Telugu actor said minister’s remarks are “completely irrelevant and false” and demanded that she withdraws them.

“I strongly condemn the comments of the Honorable Minister Mrs. Konda Surekha. Don’t use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please respect other people’s privacy,” read a rough translation of his post. 

“As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately,” he added.

Hyderabad:

Telangana’s Forests Minister Konda Surekha has triggered a massive controversy with her allegations against Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader KT Rama Rao – linking him with the divorce of actors Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, drugs and blackmail. Her comments have drawn a sharp response from Naga Chaitanya’s father, veteran Telugu actor Nagarjuna Akkineni, who said her remarks are “completely irrelevant and false” and demanded that she withdraws them.

“I strongly condemn the comments of the Honorable Minister Mrs. Konda Surekha. Don’t use the lives of movie stars who stay away from politics to criticize your opponents. Please respect other people’s privacy,” read a rough translation of his post on X, formerly Twitter. 

“As a woman in a responsible position, your comments and accusations against our family are completely irrelevant and false. I request you to withdraw your comments immediately,” he added.

Mr Rao has not commented on the matter but his party leader and former minister Harish Rao Thanneeru has demanded an unconditional apology from the Congress leader. 

In a scathing attack on KT Rama Rao, son of former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, Ms Surekha said he was the reason why many actresses left the film industry and married early. KT Rama Rao, she claimed, blackmailed film personalities after getting them addicted to drugs.

She also said that she suspected that the BRS leader was behind a series of offensive posts against her.

The Congress leader had faced abuse online after a photo showing BJP leader and Medak MP Raghunandan Rao placing a garland around her neck at a programme. She accused BRS leaders of using the incident to demean her using her gender.

Naga Chaitanya, who parted ways with Samantha Ruth Prabhu two years ago, got engaged to actor Sobhita Dhulipala in August.