Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's daughter and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader, K Kavitha, who has been summoned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for questioning in the alleged Delhi excise policy scam, announced on Wednesday that she would be appearing before the federal investigative agency on March 11.
In a statement, she preciously claimed that she has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to depose on March 9 "in light of" her proposed hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi in support of the women's reservation bill on March 11.
Kavitha said "these tactics of intimidation" against the fight of her father and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and the BRS would not deter them.
BRS MLC in Telangana K Kavitha, who has been summoned by the ED, on Wednesday said she would fully cooperate with the investigation agency but would seek legal opinion on the date of deposition in view of her proposed dharna in support of the women's reservation bill in Delhi on March 10.
What did the BRS leader say?
"As a law-abiding citizen, I will fully cooperate with the investigation agencies. However, due to the dharna and prefixed appointments, I'll seek legal opinions on the date of attending it," she said.
"I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, CM Shri KCR, and against the entire BRS Party will not deter us," Kavitha said.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister KCR, the BRS will continue to fight to expose the BJP's failures and raise voice for a brighter and better future for India, she said.
Telangana would "never bow before" the anti-people regime in Delhi, she claimed.
"Let me also remind the power mongers in Delhi that Telangana has never and will never bow before the oppressive anti-people regime. We will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people," she said.
How did the BRS party respond?
The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Kavitha in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy.
Kavitha, 44, has been asked to depose on March 9 before the federal agency in the national capital.
Kavitha had decided to hold a one-day hunger strike in New Delhi on March 10 seeking the introduction of Women's Reservation Bill in Parliament.
Meanwhile, the ruling BRS attacked the NDA government at the Centre over the ED summoning Kavitha, alleging that it is a misuse of the investigation agencies.
Telangana Agriculture Minister S Niranjan Reddy alleged that the cases against Kavitha is a vindictive action as the BJP is unable to take on KCR.
Why the Centre is silent on the "Adani issue" and why the ED, CBI and Income Tax do not probe it, he said in a release.
An attempt to muzzle Kavitha's voice ahead of the hunger strike
State Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavati Rathod alleged that the ED action is an attempt to muzzle the voice of Kavitha who proposed to undertake a protest in Delhi in support of women's reservation bill. The BJP is jittery after CM KCR has transformed the TRS into BRS, she claimed.
State BJP president and MP Bandi Sanjay Kumar took exception to Kavitha's comments that Telangana would never bow before the "oppressive anti-people regime" in Delhi.
He wondered how the people of Telangana are concerned with the allegations against Kavitha.
"Is Kavitha indulging in illegal liquor deal for the sake of Telangana people," he said, adding that the BRS MLC can prove her honesty in courts.
What is the link between the investigating agencies and BJP, he asked.
The probe agencies have not come into existence after the BJP government was formed at the Centre. They had functioned and investigated cases even when Congress and other parties were in power in Delhi. The same thing is happening now, Sanjay Kumar said.
(With PTI Inputs)
