Multicrore Kaleshwaram case: ‘Adopted son’ Kishan Reddy saving KCR from arrest says CM

Nizamabad/Hyderabad

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday demanded BJP leaders to come clear on why its government at the Centre was not arresting former chief minister and BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and his party leader T Harish Rao, who both are accused of being involved in the Kaleshwaram scam.

He slammed the Centre for not heeding to the state government’s plea for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the multi-crore case and questioned Union Coal Minister G Kishan Reddy’s silence despite myriad acts of omissions and commissions during its construction. Addressing a public meeting in Nizamabad on Friday as a part of the Congress’ poll campaign, Revanth Reddy sought to know why the Centre was not arresting KCR and Harish Rao despite repeated appeals. The Chief Minister alleged that Kishan Reddy was now KCR’s ‘adopted son’, whose name has since been rechristened as Kishan Rao.

Nizamabad MP Dharmapuri Arvind was repeatedly saying that KCR and Harish Rao should be put in jail and made to eat prison food. But the CBI has not taken any action so far. The Chief Minister shot off a series of questions-where is Kishan Reddy hiding and who is ensuring that KCR and Harish Rao are not put in Cherlapally jail? “Arvind should know how and why Kishan Reddy is protecting KCR,” he said while urging the Nizamabad MP to convince Prime Minister Modi on why the BRS leaders had to be arrested.

He however said that the ground reality was that Modi does not respond to the MP’s pleas.

The Chief Minister castigated the BJP and the MP for not getting any funds for the development of Nizamabad district. The constituency people elected Arvind twice and the only thing he does is chanting Modi's name, he added. Why could not Arvind plead with Modi to get the Smart City project to Nizamabad, he wondered.

The Chief Minister accused the previous BRS regime’s neglect that led to Nizamabad becoming a garbage dump.

“We are spending Rs 1045 crore on the municipalities of the undivided Nizamabad district. Even though the state government has sanctioned funds, the BRS leaders are obstructing developmental works,” he charged. Revanth Reddy said that BJP has no right to seek votes and the party should be buried in the municipal elections. “BRS and BJP are one and the same. The two parties are maintaining a strong bond. Voting for BJP or BRS will be of no use for the state,” he remarked.

Revanth Reddy said that his government has provided 70,000 government jobs. “I am ready to chop off head if it is proved wrong,” the Chief Minister said, welcoming the High Court’s ‘resounding verdict’ on the Group I recruitment.