HYDERABAD: Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Danasari Anasuya (Seethakka) on Monday issued a legal notice to BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao, seeking an unconditional public apology over alleged defamatory statements regarding the distribution of mobile phones to Anganwadi centres.
In the notice, sent through her advocate Naguluri Krishna Kumar, the minister termed the allegation of a Rs 30 crore scam as “false, baseless and made without verification of official records”. She alleged that the claims were circulated through BRS’s official social media handles with “malafide intent” to damage her reputation.
Seethakka was reacting to allegations by BRS leader Manne Krishank, who claimed that corruption of Rs 30 crore had taken place in the procurement of mobile phones for Anganwadi workers and that the minister was involved. She had earlier rebutted these claims.
The legal notice demands that KCR delete the posts and issue a public apology within 48 hours of receipt, failing which she would initiate civil and criminal defamation proceedings.
Refuting Krishank’s allegations, Seethakka stated that she had no role in the procurement of smartphones. The notice said the tender process was handled by Telangana Technology Services Limited through established procedures. “A Tender Evaluation Committee consisting of senior government officials evaluated the bids and finalised the contract. My client was not a member of this committee and has no role in awarding the tender,” her lawyer said in the notice. Questioning the basis of the allegations, the notice pointed out that the total tender value was about Rs 44 crore.
“When the tender itself is for about Rs 44 crore, it is not understood as to how my client could have indulged in corruption to a tune of Rs 30 crore. Your allegation is prima facie false and absurd,” it read.
The notice also stated that the posts gained traction on social media and were amplified by multiple BRS-affiliated accounts, causing damage to her public image.
Speaking to the media later, Seethakka said she was compelled to initiate legal action due to a sustained “false and malicious campaign”. She asked KCR to take responsibility for the alleged misinformation, while stating that she held no personal animosity against him.
She said she had issued similar notices in the past over what she described as repeated false propaganda, and termed the claim of a `30 crore scam in a `44 crore tender “ridiculous”. She maintained that the tender process was conducted transparently through Telangana Technology Services Limited.
Seethakka further alleged that the BRS intensified its campaign after she rebutted similar allegations made by KT Rama Rao in the Legislative Assembly.
Meanwhile, Krishank demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged scam and called for public disclosure of tender details and specifications. He said: “Instead of addressing the issue transparently, legal notices have been sent to KCR, police cases filed against BRS leaders, and even threats issued for demanding a CBI inquiry. Why such panic if everything is clean?”