HYDERABAD: Demanding a probe against 12 Congress MLAs who had defected to the ruling TRS (now BRS), TPCC president A Revanth Reddy said that his party was mulling impleading itself in the MLAs poaching case, the investigation of which was handed over to the CBI by the high court on Tuesday.
In an informal conversation with media persons after participating in the Congress foundation day celebrations at Gandhi Bhavan on Wednesday, Revanth was of the opinion that luring Congress MLAs with a promise of ministerial berths and other important posts in the government was also corruption.
He faulted the positions taken by both the BRS and BJP on the Poachgate case.
“The BRS was at fault as it insisted on the probe being conducted by its own government, while the BJP was determined to have the investigation done by the Central agency. How does it matter as to who probes the case,” Revanth Reddy asked.
“It is evident that both parties are using investigation agencies for their political benefits,” Revanth alleged and added that the TPCC would write a letter to the CBI seeking a probe into “poaching” of Congress MLAs by the TRS in 2018. Stating that three out of the four MLAs who figured in the Poachgate case switched loyalties from the Congress, he said that they would give the details of how the defected legislators benefited in the ruling party.
Open letter to CM
Accusing Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao of diverting 15th Finance Commission funds, Revanth said that his party would organise a protest at Dharna Chowk on January 2, if the State government did not take back the money and clear the pending bills to the gram panchayats.
Stating that the Central government ensured the opening of dedicated bank accounts by the gram panchayats to prevent the diversion of funds, he alleged that the State government utilised the funds for other purposes without the knowledge of sarpanches using officers as a tool.