The allegedly words in public meeting by Telangana Congress chief Revanth Reddy says ‘CM KCR has become brand ambassador for alcoholics and KTR for film stars who are using drugs’ and in response KTR filed a defamation case, amid a week-long row with murky politics the latter.
The nearly week-long war of words between Telangana IT Minister (and Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s son) K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and state Congress chief Revanth Reddy took a turn for the worse, with the former filing a defamation and injunction suit against Reddy, after he alleged that KTR was a “brand ambassador” for drug addicts and dared him to undergo a narcotics test.
“Today I have invoked the legal process & filed a suit for defamation and injunction before the Hon’ble court. I am confident that the Court process will clinchingly vindicate the falsity of the canards & lies spread against me and the culprits will be brought to book appropriately,” KTR tweeted.
He reiterated the same when contacted by #KhabarLive. “Yes, the case filed is against Revanth Reddy,” he said.
At a public meeting, Reddy, alleged that CM K. Chandrashekar Rao had become a brand ambassador for alcoholics and his son KTR for film stars who are using drugs.
Reddy’s allegations came in the backdrop of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) reopening a 2017 case involving an alleged drug scandal in the Telugu film industry and began investigating related allegations of money laundering. Actors Rana Daggubati, Rakul Preet Singh, Charmy Kaur, and Ravi Teja, and director Puri Jagannadh have been questioned by the ED in the case.
While KTR is not an accused in the case and has not been questioned by the ED, Reddy has made allegations about the IT Minister’s “closeness” to the film fraternity and accused him of trying to shield them in the case.
Responding to Revanth’s comments, KTR had said that he had nothing to do with the drugs case and added that cases will be filed against anyone making derogatory comments against the Chief Minister, or the state government. If needed, even sedition charges will be brought in, he had said.
Both the leaders have also been involved in a war of words on social media platform Twitter over the past week.
Reddy started something called a “WhiteChallenge”, as part of which he asked the state’s political leaders to undergo a drugs test, come out clean, and spread a positive message.
“To create awareness in the youth on increasing drug menace in the country…I have started the #WhiteChallenge and KVishReddy (former MP K. Vishweshwar Reddy) has graciously accepted… Both of us will be waiting for KTR at Amaraveerula Sthupam today at 12 noon,” Reddy tweeted.
KTR replied that he is ready to take the test and asked if Rahul Gandhi was ready to do the same. BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has repeatedly alleged that Gandhi consumes drugs.
KTR also dared Reddy to quit his post if the former gets a clean chit after the test.
“I am ready for any test & will travel to AIIMS Delhi if Rahul Gandhi is willing to join. It’s below my dignity to do it with Cherlapally jail alumni. If I take the test & get a clean chit, will you apologise & quit your posts? Are you ready for a lie detector test on #Note4Vote,” KTR tweeted.
The “Note4Vote” reference here is to the infamous ‘cash for vote case’ in which Revanth Reddy is named as an accused, for allegedly offering Rs 50 lakh to Anglo-Indian nominated MLA Elvish Stephenson to get him to vote for the Telugu Desam Party’s Vem Narender Reddy in the legislative council elections of 2015. Reddy had been a member of the Telugu Desam Party, led by former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, at the time.
Reddy responded by saying he was ready for a lie detector test, provided Chief Minister KCR comes clean on corruption allegations.
While there are no cases of corruption against the CM, Reddy has often made such allegations against him. Recently, he had accused the CM of betraying both people of his constituency and Dalits and tribals in the state.
Latest Update: Congress leader and spokesperson Dasoju Srawan condemned the ‘attack’ on the TPCC chief’s residence by TRS workers. He tweeted that the ruling party was setting a wrong precedent by attacking residences and party offices.
Clashes broke out between Congress and TRS workers here on Tuesday, after supporters of the ruling party tried to burn an effigy of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A Revanth Reddy near his Jubilee Hills residence.
A small group of TRS workers tried to demonstrate near the Congress leader’s residence. But even as they were being stopped by police, supporters of the state Congress chief retaliated with sticks. Both the groups were seen pelting stones and sticks at each other.
AR Srinivas, DCP (West Zone), told #KhabarLive that police have received a complaint from TRS workers who sustained injuries and necessary action was being taken based on the complaint.
Congress leader and spokesperson Dasoju Srawan condemned the ‘attack’ on the TPCC chief’s residence by TRS workers. He tweeted that the ruling party was setting a wrong precedent by attacking residences and party offices.
Meanwhile, TPCC working president Mahesh Kumar Goud and senior vice-president Mallu Ravi addressed the Congress workers and asked them to burn effigies of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao across the state.
Reddy has been sharpening his attack on the ruling party for quite some time and dragged the name of TRS working president and minister KT Rama Rao into an ongoing probe by the Enforcement Directorate related to a drug scandal involving celebrities. The minister has filed a defamation case against the TPCC chief.
Reddy had challenged Rama Rao to undergo a drug test as part of his ‘White Challenge’. While Rao accepted the challenge, he called it below his stature to undergo a test with Reddy and instead challenged former AICC chief and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to undergo a drug test along with him. #KhabarLive #hydnews
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