HYDERABAD — Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president K.T. Rama Rao on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Telangana government, demanding the immediate dismissal of Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy over what he described as a brazen family scam — and accusing Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of deliberately protecting the minister despite acknowledging wrongdoing.

Speaking in his characteristically sharp and combative style, KTR — as the BRS leader is widely known — pulled no punches in his assault on the ruling Congress government, raising questions that he said demand urgent answers from the Chief Minister.

"CM Admitted Wrongdoing — But Still Won't Act"

KTR alleged that the exposure of Minister Ponguleti's family scam has left the Telangana government rattled and desperate. What makes the situation even more damning, he argued, is the Chief Minister's own admission.

"The Chief Minister himself has acknowledged that irregularities have taken place," KTR said. "Yet no legal action has been initiated. One must ask — is the Chief Minister protecting the minister because he too has a share in this corruption?"

It was a pointed and provocative question — one that the BRS leader clearly intended to land with maximum political force.

At the center of the controversy is Raghava Constructions — a company of which KTR claims Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy served as chairman between 2020 and 2022. The Chief Minister, KTR alleged, has attempted to distance the minister from the company by claiming it belongs to Ponguleti's distant relatives — a claim KTR dismissed as a transparent cover-up.

"The facts are clear," KTR said. "Ponguleti was the chairman of Raghava Constructions. The attempt to pass it off as belonging to distant relatives fools nobody."

Two and a Half Years of Failure

KTR broadened his attack beyond the immediate controversy, using the platform to deliver a comprehensive indictment of what he called the Congress government's two and a half years of governance failure.

"In two and a half years, the Chief Minister has not done a single thing that has benefited the people of Telangana," KTR charged. "Not one. And yet a minister accused of corruption continues to sit in his chair, his family protected, his wrongdoing unpunished."

He demanded pointed answers from the Chief Minister — why has action not been taken against the minister? Why is the minister's family being shielded? What message does this send to the people of Telangana?

Mining Scandals and Political Connections

KTR did not limit his allegations to the Ponguleti family controversy. He widened the scope of his attack to include what he described as widespread irregularities in the mining sector across Telangana.

Most explosive among his allegations was the claim that Bhagyalakshmi Mining in Kokapet — a prominent location in Hyderabad — belongs to relatives of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy himself. The allegation, if proven, would represent a significant conflict of interest at the highest levels of the state government.

"Mining has become a cover for large-scale illegality across this state," KTR alleged. "And the connections lead all the way to the Chief Minister's own family."

The L&T Land Controversy

KTR also trained his fire on what he described as a dangerous conspiracy surrounding 280 acres of land leased by the previous BRS government to engineering and construction giant Larsen & Toubro.

He alleged that what he called the "Danduppalya batch" — a reference he used to describe a group within the ruling establishment — is plotting to illegally seize this land. More alarmingly, KTR claimed that the Chief Financial Officer of L&T had been threatened with imprisonment in an attempt to intimidate the company.

"This is a massive scandal," KTR said, his voice rising with controlled fury. "Threatening the CFO of one of India's most respected companies with jail — what kind of government does this? What kind of governance is this?"

He described the entire episode as a "large-scale conspiracy" that strikes at the heart of investor confidence in Telangana.

"We Will Go to the Governor"

KTR made clear that the BRS is not prepared to let these issues rest — and issued a direct warning to the Telangana government.

If the government fails to act on the allegations and continues to ignore the opposition's demands, he said, the BRS will escalate the matter to Governor Jishnu Dev Varma and lodge a formal complaint seeking intervention.

"We will go to the Governor if this government refuses to listen," KTR declared. "These are not small matters. These are issues of governance, of corruption, of public money being plundered — and someone must be held accountable."

One Non-Negotiable Demand

Amid the cascade of allegations and accusations, KTR's central demand was unambiguous and unconditional.

Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy must be removed from office. Immediately. Without further delay or excuses.

"This is not a request. This is a demand from the people of Telangana," KTR said. "A minister whose family is neck-deep in scandal, whose wrongdoing has been acknowledged by the Chief Minister himself, has no moral or legal right to continue in office. He must go."

The Political Context

Saturday's press conference marks an escalation in BRS's increasingly aggressive opposition campaign against the Telangana Congress government. With assembly elections still years away, the party — which governed Telangana for a decade before its shock defeat in 2023 — appears determined to position itself as the primary watchdog against what it characterises as runaway corruption under the Revanth Reddy administration.

KTR, who has increasingly taken on the role of the party's most combative public voice, has sharpened his rhetoric in recent months — targeting the Chief Minister personally and with growing frequency.

The Congress government has not yet formally responded to Saturday's allegations. Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's office was not immediately available for comment.

But with KTR threatening to take the matter to the Governor and vowing to keep the pressure on, the political temperature in Hyderabad shows no sign of cooling any time soon.

BRS working president KTR's allegations have not been independently verified. The Telangana government and Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's office had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.

ఏపీఎస్ ఆర్టీసీలో కడప, విజయవాడ జోన్ల విజిలెన్సు & సెక్యూరిటీ విభాగాల్లో వెలుగుచూసిన అవినీతి ఆరోపణలపై సంస్థ కఠినంగా స్పందించింది. పిటిడీ కమిషనర్ మరియు ఆర్టీసీ వైస్ చైర్మన్ & మేనేజింగ్ డైరెక్టర్ ఆదేశాల మేరకు పూర్తి స్థాయి విచారణ చేపట్టారు.

విచారణలో అవినీతి తేటతెల్లం కావడంతో కడప విజిలెన్సు & సెక్యూరిటీ ఆఫీసర్‌ను సస్పెండ్ చేశారు. ఇతడి అవినీతిలో కీలక పాత్ర వహించిన తొమ్మిదిమంది సెక్యూరిటీ సిబ్బందిని కూడా సస్పెండ్ చేశారు. విజయవాడ జోన్ వి&ఎస్‌ఓను ప్రధాన కార్యాలయానికి సరెండర్ చేశారు.

ఈ చర్యలను ఏపిపీటిడీ ఎంప్లాయీస్ యూనియన్ రాష్ట్ర కమిటీ స్వాగతించింది. యూనియన్ రాష్ట్ర అధ్యక్షుడు పలిశెట్టి దామోదరరావు, ప్రధాన కార్యదర్శి జి.వి. నరసయ్య మంగళవారం ఒక ప్రకటనలో స్పందిస్తూ, అవినీతిని సహించకుండా చర్యలు తీసుకోవడం అభినందనీయమన్నారు.

బాధితులకు నష్టపరిహారం చెల్లించాలి – యూనియన్ డిమాండ్

కడప విజిలెన్సు అధికారి వసూలు చేసిన లంచం మొత్తాన్ని ఆర్టీసీ సీసీఐఎస్ ఖాతాలో రూ.52 లక్షల ఫిక్స్‌డ్ డిపాజిట్‌గా జమ చేశారు. ఈ డబ్బును ఉపయోగించి ఆర్థికంగా నష్టపోయిన బాధిత కుటుంబాలకు నష్టపరిహారం చెల్లించాలంటూ యూనియన్ నేతలు డిమాండ్ చేశారు.

లంచం ఇవ్వని కార్మికులకు విధించిన శిక్షలను వెంటనే రద్దు చేయాలని కోరుతూ ఆర్టీసీ మేనేజింగ్ డైరెక్టర్‌కు లేఖ అందించారు. బాధితులందరికీ న్యాయం జరిగేలా చర్యలు తీసుకోవాలని యూనియన్ నేతలు స్పష్టం చేశారు.

Visakhapatnam ( Journalist File ) : Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha reiterated the state government's firm stance against the ganja trade, asserting that a "strong crackdown" is underway to curb its rampant spread. Speaking to the media after inaugurating a new road accident victim assistance center and a police station at Arilova in Visakhapatnam on Sunday, Anitha outlined various law enforcement measures being implemented across the state.

Anitha said that the government, led by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), is paying special attention to the development of police infrastructure. "The importance of police stations, just like temples and schools, cannot be overstated," she remarked, highlighting that the Chief Minister has made the development of police services a priority. She also emphasized that the police department is now undergoing a significant transformation, starting from scratch to improve its capabilities.

The Home Minister also lauded the ongoing efforts to assist road accident victims in Visakhapatnam. A toll-free helpline, 7995095793, has been established to provide immediate support, and the central government is actively involved in helping accident victims. Anitha added that changes to insurance policies for accident victims are being reviewed to ensure smoother assistance.

The Arilova police station, which was initiated in 2018 under the leadership of former Home Minister Chinnarajappa, was formally inaugurated under the current government, marking a significant milestone in improving law enforcement facilities in the region.

Addressing concerns regarding traffic violations, particularly involving auto-rickshaws, Anitha announced that training programs are being conducted for auto drivers to enhance their compliance with traffic rules. She also noted a surge in social media activity, with tweets and reports surfacing as opposition figures, particularly from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), come under scrutiny for alleged involvement in various crimes. She specifically accused YSRCP leaders, including Vijay Sai Reddy and V. V. Subba Reddy, of having links to illegal activities, calling Vijay Sai Reddy an individual of "no moral values."

On the topic of alleged corruption in the Kakinada port issue, Anitha claimed that the YSRCP leadership has been intimidating officials and attempting to manipulate investigations. She further revealed that the CBI is investigating illegal rice transportation activities.

The Home Minister also pointed out that the police department has been functioning well, with a dedicated focus on addressing land encroachments, particularly those involving YSRCP leaders. She cited instances of illegal activities involving former MP A. M. V. Satyanarayana in Visakhapatnam. Anitha noted that under the previous administration, police stations were poorly managed, but the current government has taken significant steps to rectify these issues.

In an effort to enhance security, the state government is installing CCTV cameras in cities and deploying drone cameras to detect and destroy ganja plantations. The EAGLE system, which aims to strengthen surveillance, has already begun operations, according to the Home Minister.

Anitha concluded by praising the police department for its continued efforts and stressed that the government will remain committed to maintaining law and order, ensuring that the safety and security of the people remain a top priority.