Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao made strong allegations against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Sunday. He claimed that the CM could face the same consequences as leaders like Sonia Gandhi, B S Yeddyurappa, and Ashok Chavan for giving unfair advantages to his family members in the controversial AMRUT scheme tender.
Rao emphasized that there was a scam worth Rs 8,888 crore in the AMRUT scheme. Responding to comments made by Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, he stated that there was no need for him (Rao) to resign, but rather it should be the CM who steps down. He also criticized Ponguleti, saying it was surprising that the minister did not understand basic relationships, adding, “Ponguleti should know that a wife’s younger brother is the brother-in-law.”
Rao went on to explain that the law applies to corruption, whether it involves Rs 1,137 crore or even just Rs 1. He challenged Minister Ponguleti, saying, “If Ponguleti is sincere, let’s go to the Chief Justice of the State High Court with all the tender details and previous files. If the verdict goes against what I said, I will not only resign but also retire from politics.”
He further accused the CM of breaking his promise to avoid illegal gains for his relatives. Rao questioned how a company owned by the CM’s brother-in-law, Sudini Srujan Reddy, which had only Rs 2 crore in profits, was awarded a contract worth Rs 1,000 crore. He pointed out that this raised suspicions of corruption.
Rao suggested that the CM should admit his mistake and cancel the tenders immediately. Otherwise, he warned, the CM could face the same fate as Sonia Gandhi, Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan, and Karnataka CM BS Yeddyurappa, who lost their positions due to similar issues. He also announced that he would soon speak about the Kodangal lift irrigation contracts awarded to a company owned by Minister Ponguleti.
The BRS leader claimed that his party had information on all corruption happening in the State. He promised to expose the government’s corruption, one case at a time. He also accused the government of misleading the courts and vowed to continue questioning the corrupt practices of the ministers and the CM.
Rao further criticized the silence of Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay on the issue, alleging that both parties were working together behind the scenes.
