KTR and Revanth spat over Twitter on ‘Drugs Scandal’

Minister files defamation suit against TPCC president.

September 20, 2021 05:06 pm | Updated 06:11 pm IST - Hyderabad

Telangana Municipal and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao.

Telangana Municipal and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao.

The war of words between Municipal and Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president A. Revanth Reddy on Twitter over the drug tests intensified and culminated in the Minister filing a defamation suit in the City Civil Court.

The bitterness between both the leaders has been quite open and they made no bones about hiding their dislikes with accusations and counter-accusations over the last few years. However, the fresh war is related to the drug scandal in Telangana involving some celebrities summoned for an investigation by the Prohibition and Excise Department of the State government and also the Enforcement Directorate of the Central government.

Mr. Reddy has been alleging that some celebrities involved in the drugs scandal were close to KTR and accused him of trying to save them. Further, Mr. Reddy through his media interactions said KTR had become the “Drug Ambassador” of Telangana.

Taking strong objection to the remarks, an angry KTR offered himself for a drug analysis test to prove his innocence and put an end to this ugly spat. He, however, put a rider that let Mr. Reddy also call his leader Rahul Gandhi for the drug tests to prove his innocence as well. Responding to this, the Telangana Congress chief came up with a ‘White Challenge’ concept where he asked people in public life and celebrities to get drug analysis tests done openly to send a positive message among the youngsters.

He further said he was offering the challenge to KTR and also former Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP (now with the Congress), Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, also known to be a strong critic of the TRS chief K. Chandrashekhar Rao and the Minister as well.

Giving a political and publicity spin to the entire issue, Mr. Reddy said he would be present at the Telangana Martyr’s memorial on Monday and also asked KTR to join him to visit any hospital of his choice for the blood analysis of drug consumption. He presented himself at the Martyr’s Memorial with Congress workers where Mr. Vishweshwar Reddy also joined. He accused the Minister of escaping with irrelevant arguments.

However, KTR tweeted in response to the challenge saying he was ready for the tests at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi along with Mr. Gandhi. He further said it was below his dignity to take the test with Cherlapalli jail alumni in an indirect reference to Mr. Reddy’s jail term in the popularly known ‘Note for Vote’ case. He also asked if the TPCC chief was ready for a lie detector test in the ‘Note for Vote’ case.

Reacting to this, Mr. Reddy dragged the Chief Minister, K. Chandrashekhar Rao into the war of words asking KTR to decide the time and place for the lie detector test along with KCR on the CBI cases on the alleged corruption charges in the ‘Sahara Provident Fund and ESI Hospital Construction’ scandals.

KTR files suit in High Court

Meanwhile, TRS working president and IT Minister K. T. Rama Rao on Monday filed a defamation suit in the Hyderabad City Civil Court against charging the Congress leader with spreading lies to damage his reputation. He sought a grant of perpetual injunction against Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad on Monday.

A statement from KTR’s office said “The suit is a result of various baseless, scurrilous, and manifestly false statements and allegations made against the Minister by Mr. Revanth Reddy seeking to falsely link him with the ongoing investigation being conducted by the Enforcement Directorate against allegations of drug and psychotropic substances abuse by certain accused persons.”

“The civil suit contends that the said investigations are being done against the said accused and as a part of investigation various persons are being examined with none of whom Mr. KTR has any association.”

The Minister has sought a declaration that such false statements made by Mr. Reddy are ‘slanderous, libellous and constitute defamation’ and also sought an appropriate injunction against making such defamatory statements and to take down all such false statements and accusations.

KTR also sought adequate compensation for the malicious campaign and warned that he would initiate further criminal proceedings.

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