New Delhi: K Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, had written to the Enforcement Directorate seeking that her questioning in the alleged liquor scam case be postponed. In a statement, she said she will appear before the agency on March 11. "You can be assured of my full cooperation in the matter," she said.
Ms Kavitha cited prior commitments to seek that her questioning be deferred. She is expected to join a demonstration at Delhi's Jantar Mantar regarding the Women's Reservation Bill.
"I being a responsible Indian citizen, and as a women of this nation wish to exercise my rights provided under the law. Further, I fail to understand as to why I have been summoned at such a short notice. It seems that certain political motives have been masquerading in the name of investigation," she said in a statement.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation in Hyderabad for over seven hours on December 12.
The CBI contends that liquor companies were involved in framing of the 2021 excise policy of Delhi, for which kickbacks to the tune of Rs 30 crore were paid by a liquor lobby it dubbed the "South Cartel".
The Central investigation agencies have alleged that Ms Kavitha is part of the "South Cartel" that benefited from the kickbacks in the now withdrawn liquor policy of Delhi, in which Aam Aadmi Party leader Manish Sisodia has been arrested.
She has been called so that she can be confronted with Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramchandran Pillai, an alleged frontman of the "South Cartel," who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate earlier this week, reported news agency Press Trust of India, quoting sources. Ms Kavitha's former accountant has been arrested in the case.
The state BJP has hit out at Ms Kavitha, accusing her of evading questioning.
"Aap chronology Samjiye (please understand the chronology)… KCR government didn't have a single woman in its cabinet from 2014-2018, for obvious reasons of Ms Kavitha's hegemony in the party, who was an MP from Nizamabad then," BJP MP Arvind Dharampuri tweeted.
"After losing to @BJP4India candidate in 2019 General Elections, subsequently becoming MLC in Nepotism quota & now evolving as a key conspirator in #DelhiLiquorScam, her sudden epiphany to fight for Women's Reservation bill is just her futile attempt to divert people's attention," he added in a tweet.
"Your community represents not more than 1% of Telangana population but represents more than 22% of the Telangana cabinet. Kindly convince your father to accommodate 33% women in his cabinet to gain tiny sanctity to your farce agitation on Women Reservation Bill," read a second tweet from the MP.