Revanth sees nexus between KCR, ex-IAS officer

Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy said the nexus between Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and former IAS officer P. Venkatrami Reddy was exposed as the latter had been given an MLC post soon after quitting his official post as the district collector of Siddipet.

Venkatrami Reddy had been facing severe graft charges and misused official power but now he was promoted as MLC and might be elevated as a state minister soon, he alleged. Being Siddipet district collector, Venkatrami Reddy was involved in Kokapet land deals, where there was a huge scam involving Rs 1,000 crore, Revanth Reddy alleged.

Revanth Reddy, along with former minister Mohammad Ali Shabbir, addressed a press conference here at Gandhi Bhavan on Tuesday. The Congress president alleged that Venkatrami Reddy funded the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) in Dubbak and GHMC elections through his family-owned Raj Pushpa Group. Venkatrami Reddy was a strong supporter of united Andhra Pradesh and he had closely worked with former Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu, Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, K. Rosaiah and N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, he said.

Revanth Reddy recalled that Chandrashekar Rao and T. Harish Rao levelled charges against Venkatrami Reddy, who was instrumental in Kuppam Assembly constituency development and integrated water scheme in Chittoor district in united Andhra Pradesh. Shockingly, Chandrashekar Rao posted him as the collector of undivided Medak district and Siddipet, Sircilla districts too, he said. Venkatrami Reddy had no respect for farmers and the judiciary, he criticised.

The TPCC president said the Congress complained against Venkatrami Reddy to President Ramnath Kovind, home minister Amit Shah and the CBI director, following which the President ordered inquiry. Telangana chief secretary Somesh Kumar failed to initiate action against Venkatrami Reddy and now Chandrashekar Rao promoted him as MLC, he said.

 Revanth Reddy said that Chandrashekar Rao was afraid of Telangana protagonists and encouraged traitors like former IAS officer Venkatrami Reddy. The Congress would fight against Venkatrami Reddy in the court of law, he said. “Chandrashekar Rao always tries to encourage ‘traitors’ for his political mileage and ignores real leaders,” he alleged.