KTR Offered BRS-BJP Merger to Hide Graft: MP Ramesh
The BJP MP warned that if Rama Rao continued to level allegations, there will be more serious consequences, and he would reveal the truth about him and his party.
Visakhapatnam: Anakapalli BJP Rajya Sabha member C.M. Ramesh has alleged that Telangana former minister K.T. Rama Rao, working president of the BRS, had proposed the merger of his party with the BJP in exchange for suppressing corruption allegations and securing legal relief for party leader K. Kavitha.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday at his Anakapalli camp office, Ramesh made these allegations while denying corruption charges made against him by Rama Rao.
He denied Rama Rao's allegations that he obtained contracts worth Rs 1,660 crore for Rithvik Company through corrupt practices in collusion with Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy. Ramesh dismissed these accusations as "silly" and "entirely false" and asserted that he had no involvement in the contracts.
Ramesh claimed that Rama Rao had visited his Delhi residence four months ago for discussions that went far beyond routine political courtesy. "Don't you recall visiting my home in Delhi four months ago? If necessary, I will provide the media with CCTV footage of your arrival and departure," the BJP MP stated.
According to Ramesh, during this meeting, Rama Rao allegedly proposed a merger between the BRS and BJP, but with specific conditions attached. "You said that you are ready to merge your party with the BJP if the corruption in your government is not exposed and if arrangements are made to release Kavitha,” Ramesh stated.
The BJP MP claimed that during the BRS’ decade-long rule in Telangana, contracts totalling approximately `7 lakh crores were awarded and questioned: "To whom were they given? How many of them are from Telangana? How many are from Andhra? I have full evidence."
Ramesh suggested that Rama Rao's corruption allegations were not true and stemmed from his (Ramesh’s) criticism of the BRS. He also alleged that Rama Rao feared a BJP-TD alliance being formed in Telangana, which could impact BRS's political prospects.
Ramesh alleged that Rama Rao ahd made derogatory statements about members of the Kamma community within the party, specifically mentioning leader Tummala Nageswara Rao, currently agriculture minister and challenged Rama Rao to a public debate in the presence of the media.
The BJP MP warned that if Rama Rao continued to level allegations, there will be more serious consequences, and he would reveal the truth about him and his party.
