BRS protest aimed at diverting attention from scams, says Shabbir

Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader and adviser to the government (SC, ST, BC & Minorities) Mohammed Ali Shabbir on Thursday accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) of trying to divert public attention from the Kaleshwaram scam and phone-tapping case by protesting the proposed Telangana emblem.

In a statement, Shabbir Ali criticised BRS leaders, including K Tarakarama Rao, for protesting over a new emblem that had not been unveiled. "It is ridiculous for BRS leaders to protest over an emblem draft that has not been released to the media," he said.

Ali questioned how BRS leaders knew that the Kakatiya Kala Thoranam or Charminar had been removed from the new logo. He accused the leaders of trying to incite regional and emotional feelings by making baseless allegations against the government.

Ali claimed that the BRS leaders, especially former CM K Chandrashekar Rao, his son KTR, and nephew T Harish Rao, were afraid of facing action in the Kaleshwaram scam. "The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has already submitted an interim report and will soon release its final report. A vigilance inquiry report is also expected shortly. A judicial inquiry into the Kaleshwaram scam is likely to expose significant irregularities conducted during the BRS regime," he stated.

“Fearing severe action for their involvement in a scam worth thousands of crores, the BRS leaders are trying to turn the new emblem into a political issue,” he said. He alleged that the investigation into the phone-tapping case indicated that KCR and other BRS leaders violated the law to spy on the Opposition leaders, businessmen, journalists, and even judges. "Fearing arrest and strict legal action, the BRS leaders are trying to incite Telangana sentiments to protect themselves," Ali said.