HYDERABAD: Reiterating that there were no irregularities in conducting the Formula-E race in Hyderabad, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Wednesday asked Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy to initiate a debate on the matter during the ongoing session of the state Legislative Assembly.
In an open letter to the chief minister, the former Municipal Administration minister wrote, “Once again, I reiterate that there were no irregularities or corruption in the Formula-E race issue. This event, which brought goodwill to the state and Hyderabad city, was sacrificed purely due to your political vendetta. A detailed discussion in the Assembly will reveal the truth to everyone.”
Saying that the people have the right to know the truth, Rama Rao wrote: “Let us present all the facts in detail to the people of Telangana through the Assembly platform. Since the Assembly session is ongoing, you can schedule this discussion on a day of your convenience.”
It may be recalled here that after the Governor’s assent, the state government has wrote to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to register a case against Rama Rao.
Responding to this, the BRS working president, who held the Municipal Administration portfolio in the BRS regime, told the chief minister, “Your government has been making several baseless allegations against the BRS government, especially against me, for several months regarding the Formula-E race. Reports suggest that even in the Cabinet meeting held under your leadership this week, this topic was discussed for about one-and-a-half hours. Additionally, there are various leaks from the Chief Minister’s Office to the media, hinting at filing cases on this matter and claiming that the Governor has granted approval.”
Instead of having closed-door discussions, the truth about this matter should come out before the four crore people of Telangana through a debate in the Assembly, Rama Rao’s letter says.
He explained that the previous government entered into an agreement with the organisers of the Formula-E race with the noble intention of benefiting Telangana state and Hyderabad city. The race was successfully conducted in 2023, earning praise from all quarters. According to a Nielsen report, the event contributed approximately Rs 700 crore to the state’s economy, Rama Rao said.
“While another edition of the race was planned for 2024, your government unilaterally cancelled it immediately after coming to power. Since then, as part of your political vendetta, your government has been spreading numerous falsehoods through the media about this race, creating unnecessary doubts among the public,” Rama Rao told the chief minister in the open letter.
In reality, the Formula-E race agreement was completely transparent and all payments to the organisers were made in a transparent manner, Rama Rao claimed.