With Telangana MLC and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter Kavitha Kalvakuntla set to appear before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday, March 11, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has upped the ante in its criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). BRS leaders including Kavitha have questioned senior BJP leader BL Santhosh’s evasion of summons from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana Police that was previously investigating the case of an alleged poaching attempt of BRS legislators by the BJP. Addressing a press meet in Delhi on Thursday, March 9, Kavitha said that she was willing to appear before the ED for interrogation, and also questioned BL Santhosh about avoiding investigation in various cases he is involved in.
The Telangana Police SIT, which was earlier investigating the allegations of BJP’s attempt to poach four BRS MLAs by offering huge sums of money, had served a notice to BL Santhosh asking him to appear before it for the first time in November last year. BL Santhosh approached the Telangana High Court over the notice. The court ordered a stay on the notice, and later extended the stay order multiple times. Mocking BL Santhosh for evading the SIT summons, BRS leader Krishank posted a cartoon which showed Kavitha confidently cooperating with ED officials, while BL Santhosh was shown to be worried about the SIT.
BL Santhosh’s name had featured in the purported conversation between three alleged BJP agents arrested by the Telangana police in October last year in the BRS MLAs poaching case. In the conversation, a man addressed as ‘Swamiji’, who is alleged to be one of the accused Ramachandra Bharati, was heard saying that Santhosh is the organising secretary and key person who takes on all the roles to form the government, and that every move was completely organised by Santhosh.
Dear Modi-ED,
— Krishank (@Krishank_BRS) March 9, 2023
We are not BL to hide.
We will come ! pic.twitter.com/DA93p5LluC
However, the Telangana High Court later transferred the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), thereby disbanding the SIT set up by the state government.
Kavitha has been summoned by the ED in connection with the Delhi excise policy scam case. ED has alleged that the South Group – controlled by Kavitha, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, and Aurobindo Pharma's P Sarat Chandra Reddy, among others – gave kickbacks of Rs 100 crore to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders to gain control over the liquor business in Delhi. Kavitha was earlier questioned in connection with the case by the CBI in December 2022.
Recently on Tuesday, March 7, the ED arrested Hyderabad-based businessman Arun Ramachandran Pillai in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. According to reports, ED has alleged that Arun Pillai represented Kavitha’s business interests and her ‘benami’ investments in a firm in which he is a partner.
Kavitha had earlier announced her plan to hold a sit-in protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on March 10, demanding that the Union government table the Women's Reservation Bill in the Budget session of parliament. She has written to the ED saying she would appear for her deposition on March 11. Ahead of Kavitha’s meeting with ED, CM KCR has called a joint meeting of the BRS Parliamentary Party, Legislature Party and the state Executive at Telangana Bhavan, the BRS headquarters in Hyderabad, on March 10.