G Kishan Reddy demands CBI inquiry, posts accused Hyderabad BJP leader's pic with TRS leaders

After uproar over BJP's alleged attempts to purchase four Telangana Rashtra Samithi MLAs, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday hit out at the latter party, demanding a CBI inquiry into the incident and releasing a picture of one of the accused with TRS leaders.

Hyderabad: Following the arrest of four persons in the alleged money-for-defection bid presented to Telangana Rashtra Samiti MLAs to join BJP, Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday hit back at the claims, releasing photos of one Nanda Kumar, one among three persons named behind the luring attempt, with TRS leaders. He further sought for the case to be handed over to the CBI.

The issue stems from a night-time raid by police late on Wednesday at a farmhouse in Moinabad, in Ranga Reddy district. Inputs regarding the meeting of four TRS MLAs, namely Pilot Rohit Reddy (Tandur), Guvvala Bala Raju (Achchampeta), Rega Kantha Rao (Pinapaka) and Harshavardhan Reddy (Kollapur), was provided to the cops by the Tandur MLA.

Reddy alleged that the three involved in the persuasion process, Ramchandra Bharati, Nanda Kumar, and Simhayaji Swamy, were offering Rs 100 crore for him, and Rs 50 crore each for the three others to cross over to the BJP.

Images released by G Kishan Reddy, however, displayed Hyderabad BJP leader Nanda Kumar, one of the accused, with TRS leaders such as MP Santhosh Kumar, and MLA Danam Nagendar, among other TRS activists.

"They are spreading false propaganda that I have good relations with Nanda Kumar. There is a special committee to join BJP and our party does not need to include MLAs using the crooked path. Nanda Kumar was closely related to the KCR. I have attended many events, many people take pictures with me," the Union Minister said.

"If the TRS government has a purity of mind, I request that the case be handed over to the CBI. I am asking whether the state government is ready for this. I am giving two options. Either you get it inquired by a Supreme Court sitting judge or hand it over to the CBI as this case is an interstate issue," the minister further said at a press conference later in the day.

Reddy also termed the entire issue to be a 'conspiracy' orchestrated by TRS, accusing the latter of devising the plot in order to sway public mandate ahead of Manugode assembly by-polls. The 'script, direction and actors' were all provided by Pragathi Bhavan, Chief Minister KCR's official residence, he further quipped.

Meanwhile, a petition was also filed in the Telangana HC on Thursday, demanding the transfer of the case to the CBI, as well as the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into the incident.