HYDERABAD: Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy has demanded an inquiry into the Moinabad farmhouse incident by a sitting supreme court judge, or to hand the case over to CBI, as the accused were from various states.
Barely a week before the Munugode byelection, Cyberabad police on Wednesday night had raided the farmhouse on the outskirts of the city and reportedly detained three persons for allegedly trying to lure four TRS legislators into the BJP.
The minister condemned the action of TRS leaders burning the effigies of BJP leaders and the protests carried out by them alleging that the BJP tried to lure four MLAs from the TRS party with hundred of crores.
Addressing the media at the BJP office in Nampally on Thursday, Reddy denied the allegations as a well-scripted drama enacted by TRS from Pragathi Bhavan, to divert the people's attention from the Munugode by-election, as TRS, according to him, 'was in a losing position'.
"Can the TRS government be brought down just by having only four of their MLAs join BJP? Do these four MLAs enjoy any support from the people of their constituencies and are they honest? Can BJP afford to buy planes like TRS," he questioned.
The minister also asserted that BJP had a party joinings committee that fairly and squarely handles those who want to join BJP and that there was a rule in the party that any MLA who wished to join, will have to tender resignation to their former party and face an election.
Clarifying that BJP was in no hurry and was ready to wait till 2023 to come to power, he reiterated that BJP has not given GPA to anybody other than MLA Etala Rajender who is the party joinings committee chairman and BJP state president Bandi Sanjay.
Pointing out that there was no mention of how much cash was seized in the first information report on the case, he questioned where the money came from, who sent it, and what happened to those hundreds of crores in question.
"The car in which the cash was allegedly brought belonged to TRS MLA Guvvala Balaraju who was one of the four MLAs who were allegedly being lured. So how did BJP send that money?" he asked.
Also clarifying the reports that he was seen in a picture with Nandakumar, one of the accused, Kishan Reddy said that he had gone to inaugurate the former's restaurant as an MLA and that it was common for him to attend such events.
Showing Nandakumar's photos with TRS MP J Santosh Kumar, MLA B Subhash Reddy, Dasoju Sravan, Yerrolla Srinivas, Harish Rao, former Mayor Bonthu Ram Mohan, MLA Danam Nagender, and also B Harshavardhan Reddy (one of the four MLAs who were allegedly being lured), he wondered what would they say about his relationship with them.
"For two years the Chief Minister's family members have been trying to gain people's sympathy in their support by repeatedly accusing that the Centre was going to unleash the central investigative agencies against them. When that didn't work, they have come up with this outlandish drama," he added.
He said that it was TRS which was the only party to bulldoze and wipe out political parties like YSRCP, TDP, CPI and Congress (in the legislative council), by luring their MLAs, MPs, MLCs, ZP chairpersons, ZPTCs and MPPs to join TRS by encouraging politics of turn-coats.
"If a case needs to be booked against somebody, it has to be booked on the Chief Minister, and his son KTR for calling our party leader in Munugode and trying to lure him into joining TRS recently. Why didn't the police take action against KTR then," he asked.
He said that TRS was acting in frustration in fear of losing the Munugode by-election and the Chief Minister's seat by the Kalvakuntla family members.
He predicted that the entire conspiracy which seemed like a horror movie will turn out to be a flop show when the verdict for the Munugode by-election will be out on November 6.