ONGOLE: The family of Magunta Raghava Reddy, son of YSRC MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in the Delhi liquor scam, has been into liquor business for more than seven decades.
The CBI, which also registered a case, conducted searches at the residences and office of the MP in Hyderabad, Nellore and Delhi earlier. But the MP had strongly denied the involvement of his family in the liquor scam.
The MP alleged conspiracy by some North Indian businessmen against the South Indian businessmen, who are flourishing in the northern region with their genuine business skills, behind the charge of liquor scam against his family. He also condemned the ED allegations against his son, who is also the chairman of Balaji Group.
“For more than seven decades, we have been doing liquor business in the undivided Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka strictly following the rules and regulations. There is not even a single black mark on us till date. This is all the conspiracy hatched by the North Indian liquor businessmen, who want to restrict us from entering their region. We don’t know who Amit Arora is and even I didn’t see him,’’ the MP claimed. He, however, said some of his relatives got a few liquor shops in Delhi.
The Magunta family is politically and socially famous in Nellore and Prakasam districts. Srinivasulu Reddy has planned to make way for his son Raghava Reddy in the ensuing elections in 2024.He has already announced that his son will contest in the next elections. The arrest of Raghava Reddy became the talk of Ongole on Saturday. The MP was scheduled to visit Ongole on Saturday.