Hans News Service Hyderabad

BRS leaders on Wednesday alleged that the media conference addressed by Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy on Wednesday was merely an attempt to cover up his own misdeeds and that the Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was shielding the illegal activities of the Revenue Minister.

Addressing a press conference here, BRS MLA KP Vivekananda said Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy was the individual who fled to Kerala overnight the moment their leader Harish Rao talked about Raghav Constructions and its mining activities during the Budget Sessions. He is currently evading the situation by claiming to be engaged in election campaigning in the state of Kerala and the Revenue Department has become completely mired in corruption, alleged KP Vivekananda.

The BRS leader said that it was their leader, Harish Rao, who issued a bold challenge, declaring, “If we are wrong, then hang us!” Unable to accept this challenge, Ponguleti fled to Kerala overnight by flight. “Having run away like a thief to Kerala, he has now returned and is spouting utter nonsense. CM Revanth Reddy claims that Raghav Construction does not belong to Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. Yet, Ponguleti asserts that Raghav Construction belongs to his son. Revanth Reddy is shielding the illegal activities of Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy,” said Vivekananda. The BRS leader demanded that Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy must resign immediately for engaging in illegal mining.

BRS General Secretary RS Praveen Kumar said that the media conference did not sound like a statement from the Revenue Minister. Instead, it sounded exactly like a statement from the Chairman of Raghav Construction—Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy. One is left wondering: is it Raghava Construction or Megha Engineering that is actually steering the people of Telangana? Indeed, it is Raghava Construction—specifically the Megha Engineering firm—that is steering the people of Telangana, he said.

Regarding the Vattinagulapally land dispute, Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy’s son must answer: did he or did he not visit the residence of Pallavi Shah and Satish Shah? “You must also answer whether or not Habibullah Khan—the officer who registered the case—was subsequently transferred.