Allegations and counter-allegations on drug culture in the State took an interesting turn on Saturday with TPCC president Revanth Reddy throwing a ‘white challenge’, where he wanted politicians and celebrities to undergo drug analysis tests to send a positive message against drug abuse.
“Being role models for youngsters, people in public life should accept my challenge to undergo the tests and invite some more to take up the same,” he said, revealing that he was inviting Municipal Minister K.T. Rama Rao and former Chevella MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy to be part of the challenge.
The Congress leader said that he would be present at the Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at 12 noon on Monday and from there, he would go to any hospital that the Minister suggests for the drug tests. He said that TRS MP Joginapally Santosh has started the Green Challenge inviting celebrities to promote greenery by planting saplings and this ‘white challenge’ was similar to that.
Earlier, KTR offered to go through a drug test in response to criticism from Mr. Reddy that he had become the ‘brand ambassador of drugs’. An angry KTR said that the Congress leader was crossing all the limits of decency in linking him to the drugs’ issue and as a matter of fact offered himself for the test. The rider, however, was that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi too, should come along.
When asked about KTR’s challenge at a press conference, Mr. Reddy responded with the ‘white challenge’ stating that he believed drugs were white in colour going by what he saw in films.
‘Govt. saving filmstars’
Mr. Revanth Reddy alleged that the government was trying to save some filmstars in the drug scandal and it was evident in the way the Enforcement Directorate had called stars like Rakul Preet Singh and Daggubati Rana. He said that they were not in the list of celebrities called for investigation when the Prohibition and Excise Department officials conducted the same probe a few years ago.
“We want to know if the government has deliberately excluded them and if there are some more who were not called despite being in the dragnet,” he said.
