Ahead of her questioning by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the Delhi excise case, BRS leader K Kavitha on Thursday claimed that she has done nothing wrong and will cooperate with the agency.
Telangana MLC Kavitha, who is a daughter of Chief Minister K Chandrasehkar Rao, said the ED summoned her to appear for questioning on March 9 but she requested them for another date of March 16 due to the political call for hunger strike over Women’s Reservation Bill. She said she agreed for March 11 wondering what haste they are in.
Kavitha’s questioning preceded by arrest of Arjun Pillai, who is suspected to be an associate of her and part of the south lobby that is alleged to have given ₹100 crore bribe to AAP leaders to get a pie in the national liquor trade. Before him, the ED has also arrested Butchibabu Gorantla, a former chartered accountant of Kavitha who is alleged to be aware of the dealings in the liquor gate. The two other prominent members of the south lobby are YSRC MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy and Aurobindo pharma’s P Sarat Chandra Reddy. YSRC MP’s son Magunta Raghava Reddy and P Sarat Chandra Reddy have already been put behind the bars in the case.
Addressing media in the national capital, the Telangana leader said “We have seen that BJP has used backdoor entry in nine states, they are unable to do it in Telangana, which is why they are using ED now, but we are not afraid.”
‘Intimidation tactics won’t deter us’
Insisting that “we will face Enforcement Directorate, we have not done anything wrong,” she urged the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reduce prices, give more subsidies and jobs. “What will you get by torturing people like us?” she asked.
Kavitha also issued a statement, saying that the women’s reservation has been long-pending and our only demand is to table the bill in parliament to give them their due share of political participation. Bharath Jagruth, along with opposition parties and women’s organisations from all across the country, will come together on March 10 at Jantar Mantar, for a one-day peaceful hunger strike, demanding the BJP government to introduce and pass the bill, she added.
Kavitha also stated she would like ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the BRS party will also not deter us.