Sisodia arrest to divert people’s attention: KCR

Hyderabad: BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Monday condemned the arrest of Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Delhi liquor scam.

A day after Sisodia’s arrest, the Chief Minister took to Twitter and said, "We condemn the arrest of Manish Sisodia by CBI. It is nothing but an attempt to divert people's attention from the Modi-Adani nexus."

Chandrashekar Rao had been tight-lipped about the Delhi liquor scam and had not reacted when the investigating agency had questioned his daughter and BRS MLC K. Kavitha in December last. However, he is the lone non-Congress Opposition leader to take on the Adani Group ever since the Hindenburg report spoke of the alleged fudging by the conglomerate.

Significantly, the Chief Minister’s son and IT minister K.T. Rama Rao also for the first time reacted at length, though indirectly, on the liquor scam. Speaking at a meeting in Sodashapalli of Hanamkonda district, he said BRS leaders were not afraid of going to jail and it was not something new for them (going to jail). He had condemned the arrest over Twitter on Sunday.

Rama Rao’s comments gained significance in the backdrop of strong rumours that the Central agencies might focus on Kavitha next.

“The Modi government unleashed income-tax department, CBI and Enforcement Directorate like hunting dogs on leaders of Opposition parties has been intimidating the latter by foisting cases and sending them to jails,” said Rama Rao. He said BRS leaders went to jail on numerous occasions during the struggle for statehood for Telangana and he was also put in Warangal jail.

The IT minister accused the Opposition of politicising “pratee chinna amsam” (even small issues). “One medical student of MGM College in Warangal Dr Preethi was hurt after being subjected to ragging and unfortunately died. We all felt pained over the incident,” he said adding that the Opposition politicised the death. Ministers Satyavathi Rathod and E. Dayakar Rao, MP Maloth Kavitha and MLA Shankar Naik went to NIMS and consoled her family members, he pointed out.

Taking potshots at BJP state president Bandi Sanjay, the IT minister said be it Saif (Dr Preethi’s senior at the Kakatiya Medical College) or Sanjay, the government would take action as per law against people responsible for the doctor’s death.

"On  behalf of the state government and BRS I am expressing sincere condolences to the family members of Dr.Preethi and assuring that the government will support her family,” he added.

Earlier, the minister laid the foundation stones for three mini lift irrigation projects which are going to be constructed at cost of `104 crore for supplying water to Chilpur, Dharmasagar and Velairu mandals through Devadula pipe lines for irrigation needs and also for laying two double roads at a cost of Rs.35 crores in the Station Ghanpur constituency.