"Malicious Propaganda": KTR As He Appears In Court In Formula E Case

The political confrontation between the ruling Congress and the opposition BRS intensified in Telangana on Friday, with BRS working president KT Rama Rao appearing before the Nampally ACB Special Court in the Formula E case even as Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy stepped up allegations over the land and assets of former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his family.

KTR appeared before the court in connection with the case relating to alleged financial irregularities in payments made for the Formula E race held in Hyderabad in 2023, when the BRS was in power.

The ACB has accused KTR and other officials of alleged financial and procedural violations. KTR has denied wrongdoing and said he would cooperate with the judicial process.

Speaking with the media after his appearance, KTR accused the Congress government of focusing on the Opposition instead of governance.

"For the last three years, ever since the Congress government came to power, its entire focus has been on targeting the Opposition," he said, alleging that the government was trying to "harass and trouble" KCR and BRS leaders.

KTR said the Congress government should instead concentrate on implementing its manifesto and fulfilling promises to farmers and students.

He reminded the Congress of its promise of Rs 2 lakh farm loan waiver, Rs 15,000 Rythu Bharosa and crop bonus, and alleged that pending fee-reimbursement dues remain unpaid. He also claimed that farmers' are protesting over electricity supply in the state.

In the Formula E case, KTR defended the race as an initiative intended to enhance Hyderabad's profile and attract investment into the electric-vehicle sector.

"The Formula E race was an initiative that brought a good name to Hyderabad and Telangana," he said, adding that he had appeared before the court twice and would continue to cooperate whenever required.

The BRS leader also blamed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of targeting KCR and his family through what he called "malicious propaganda".

KTR has challenged the chief minister to agree to an inquiry by a High Court or Supreme Court judge into the assets of both families.

State review minister Ponguleti Srinicas, who is also a close aide of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, has shared KCR's 2004 Karimnagar Lok Sabha election affidavit on social media and questioned how the former chief minister's landholdings subsequently expanded.

He highlighted that according to the affidavit, KCR declared no agricultural or non-agricultural land in 2004. Ponguleti also questioned KTR's claims about ancestral landholdings and shared documents to support his allegations.

The dispute comes alongside the Congress government-ordered land inquiry at Erravelli, where officials are examining land parcels around KCR's farmhouse. Local farmers have objected to the survey, claiming cultivation rights over part of the land.

The competing allegations have made state politics active and heated. There is an ongoing exchange over KCR's assets, land records, and the Formula E case, with the opposition now alleging Revanth Reddy's family involvement in a 330-acre land holding, which has become a flashpoint.