KTR responded to the BJP leader's post on sister K Kavitha's role
A senior BJP leader's sarcastic post on the Supreme Court's bail relief to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha drew a sharp response from her brother and former Telangana minister KT Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR.
The top court today granted conditional bail to K Kavitha, five months after she was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with alleged irregularities in Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy. This is the same matter in which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his former deputy Manish Sisodia were also arrested. While Mr Kejriwal is still behind bars, Mr Sisodia was granted bail earlier this month.
Taking a swipe, Union Minister and senior BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar said in a post on X, "Congratulations to the Congress party and its advocates for securing bail for BRS MLC in the infamous liquor Scam. Your untiring efforts finally yielded fruits.
"This bail is a win for both BRS and Congress -BRS leader is out on bail & the Congress man gets to Rajya Sabha. Remarkable political acumen by KCR in supporting the candidate, who initially argued for the bail, to be nominated to Rajya Sabha unopposed by the ruling Congress. Congratulations to the partners in crime who wine & dine," the Minister of State for Home Affairs added.
While the BJP leader did not take names, it is clear that he was referring to Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who defended Ms Kavitha in court and has now filed nomination for a Rajya Sabha seat from Telangana.
In a sharp response, former state minister and K Kavitha's brother KTR said Bandi Sanjay Kumar's post on X is "highly unbecoming" of his position as a Union Minister. The BRS leader urged the Supreme Court to take note of the remark and initiate contempt proceedings.
"You're a union minister in charge of Home Affairs & casting aspersions on Supreme Court !! Highly unbecoming of your position. I respectfully urge the Hon'ble Chief Justice of India & the respected Supreme Court to take cognisance of these comments and initiate contempt proceedings," KTR said in reply to the post.
A Lok Sabha MP and a BJP national secretary, Bandi Sanjay Kumar has earlier served as the party's chief in Telangana.
Earlier too, he has alleged an understanding between the BRS and the Congress for Mr Singhvi's entry to the Upper House. The BJP leader has also claimed that BRS, the main Opposition in Telangana, is going to merge with the Congress soon.
"KCR has reached an understanding with the Congress. Only after this did the Congress nominate the lawyer of Kavitha for the Rajya Sabha. Despite having 39 votes, BRS has not filed any nominations. The party is going to merge with Congress soon. Both of them are family-oriented parties and both are corrupt too," he said earlier this month.
Congress Sees A BJP Link
Amid the BJP's allegations of a tie-up between Congress and BRS, Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud alleged that the bail relief to K Kavitha shows that the process for BRS' merger with the BJP has started.
He also alleged that BRS leaders KTR and T Harish Rao spoke to BJP leaders in Delhi and that the Enforcement Directorate helped Ms Kavitha get bail.
"When you delve deep into the reasons for Kavitha getting bail now, it becomes clear that the process for BRS' merger with the BJP has commenced," he said, adding that the two parties have come together to create problems for the Revanth Reddy government in Telangana.